In a significant move to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, Olam Agri, in collaboration with IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative) and Arzikin Noma, has launched an impactful initiative targeting 5,000 smallholder soybean farmers in Kwara State. The project is designed to provide access to credit facilities, technical training, and reliable market linkages, with a special focus on women and youth empowerment in rural communities.
This strategic partnership reflects a growing recognition of agriculture as a powerful tool for economic development and poverty alleviation, especially in a country where farming remains the primary livelihood for millions.
Bridging the Gap in Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector
Nigeria remains one of the largest agricultural producers in sub-Saharan Africa, yet its agricultural sector faces several structural challenges low productivity, limited access to finance, weak market systems, and inadequate technical knowledge. Smallholder farmers, who produce over 80% of Nigeria’s food, often operate under conditions that limit their productivity and profitability.
The new soybean initiative directly addresses these gaps by equipping farmers in Kwara with the resources, skills, and market access needed to transform their farms into thriving businesses. The inclusion of women and youth groups historically underrepresented in commercial agriculture is a step toward making the sector more inclusive and future-ready.
What the Program Offers: Credit, Training, and Markets
The initiative is structured around three core support pillars:
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Access to Credit: Many smallholder farmers struggle to secure financing due to a lack of collateral and formal banking relationships. Through this partnership, farmers will receive input loans to acquire quality seeds, fertilizers, and farm equipment crucial for improving yields and reducing post-harvest losses.
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Capacity Building: Through organized training sessions and field demonstrations, farmers will be introduced to climate-smart practices, pest management, and modern agronomic techniques. This knowledge transfer is essential to increasing productivity while promoting sustainable farming.
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Guaranteed Market Access: One of the most significant hurdles for small-scale farmers is the uncertainty of selling their produce. By providing direct linkages to offtakers including Olam’s supply chain—farmers are guaranteed a ready market, reducing the risk of post-harvest losses and price exploitation by middlemen.
Empowering Women and Youth
According to IDH, the program is deliberately inclusive, with an emphasis on ensuring that women and youth make up a substantial portion of the 5,000 beneficiaries. This is crucial in a country where youth unemployment remains high and where women, despite playing vital roles in agriculture, often face systemic barriers to land ownership, finance, and market participation.
Empowering women and youth not only improves household incomes but also leads to broader social benefits, including better nutrition, education, and community development.
Why Soybeans?
Soybeans have gained increasing importance in Nigeria due to their nutritional value, role in livestock feed production, and growing demand in both domestic and export markets. However, local production still falls short of demand, forcing Nigeria to import soybean derivatives such as oil and meal.
By investing in soybean farming at the grassroots level, the initiative helps reduce dependence on imports, improves local food systems, and supports the government’s goal of achieving agricultural self-sufficiency.
Wider Economic and Environmental Impacts
This project also supports Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, which aims to shift agriculture from a development sector into a profitable business. In addition, by introducing climate-resilient farming practices, the initiative addresses environmental sustainability an essential factor as farmers increasingly face the impacts of climate change.
Moreover, the influx of trained, empowered farmers into the soybean value chain is expected to stimulate rural economic activity, create agro-processing opportunities, and encourage entrepreneurship in farming communities.
Conclusion: A Model for Inclusive Agricultural Growth
The collaboration between Olam Agri, IDH, and Arzikin Noma serves as a model for what public-private partnerships in agriculture can achieve inclusive growth, food security, and rural development. By focusing on smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, this initiative not only boosts soybean production but also lays the groundwork for a more resilient and equitable agricultural economy in Nigeria.
As the project unfolds in Kwara State, its success could inspire similar models across other regions, further unlocking Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential.
Published on Xamblog.com – Unpacking stories that shape Africa’s development and rural transformation.
Last Updated on June 20, 2025 by kingstar
