• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

As Nigeria's agricultural landscape evolves, more women are leaving their marks through their contributions in the value chain. From processing to logistics to mechanised farming, these women have shown that the business of agriculture transcends gender. According to data, more than 80 percent of Nigeria's farmers are smallholder farmers. These numbers account for 90 percent of Nigeria's agricultural produce, yet women are often left behind in policy discourse. In celebration of 2026 International Women's Day, BusinessDay spotlights women who are actively tackling some challenges, like post-harvest losses, cold chain infrastructure, and processing. These women have shown that females deserve inclusion in agricultural policies. Adelaja is the founder and chief executive officer of Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services. Born on August 17, 1983, in London, England, Adelaja moved to the United States with her parents at the age of 3. In May 2014, she founded Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services, an indigenous agricultural production and processing company. She uses hydroponics and container farming to produce healthy vegetables in small spaces, reducing the reliance on traditional, land-intensive farming. Raheem-Bolarinwa is a Nigerian entrepreneur and strategy consultant who graduated from Queen Mary University of London, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in economics in 2011. She is the founder of Farmz2U, a platform that empowers farmers to make informed decisions about crop selection, budgeting, and profit targets. It also helps farmers with crop planning that reduces food waste. Raheem-Bolarinwa co-founded Farmz2U in 2019. The agritech firm develops data-centric technology solutions and helps smallholder farmers automate agricultural production to increase yield and profit. Olatayo is the founder of Soupah Farm-en-Market Limited, a climate-smart enterprise that uses hydroponics technology to plant food and supports rural smallholder farmers with solar-powered irrigation to gain resilience against the impacts of climate change.Her company, Soupah Farm-en-Market works directly with rural farmers to connect their produce to urban markets through a B2B marketplace that eliminates exploitative brokers, ensuring fair pay and equitable market access. Their model also offers farmers climate support products by providing them with climate resilient input and infrastructure such as improved seeds, solar-powered irrigation, and agronomic support enterprise, boosting farmers' yields by 90 percent. The initiative has benefitted over 9,846 tons of food, preventing post-harvest losses and reducing methane emissions by over 1,000 tons. Salaudeen-Ibrahim is a prominent Nigerian climate advocate, social impact leader, and agripreneur. She is the founder and chief executive officer of Green Republic Farms, a climate-smart agriculture and youth empowerment organisation. She was named the Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star) for West Africa at the Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards in Senegal in 2025. Through her company, she recycles agro waste into renewable energy With over 30 years of farming experience, Maigari is a recognised farmer and advocate for rural women farmers. She is a leading figure in crop and livestock farming in Kaduna State. Engaged in value-added activities such as the processing of nutritional local food delicacies. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led to popular products such as ginger powder, which is sold locally as a spice and nutritional supplement. Maigari is a member of the Ogbonge Women farmers, actively using her position to lead women in her community in adapting to the effects while challenging policymakers to act. Source: https://businessday.ng/news/article/iwd-five-women-driving-nigerias-agricultural-transformation/