His Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, PhD, CON calls for increased support for small holder women farmers as the Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation kicks off training for 200 beneficiaries in Kano.
In a powerful demonstration of traditional and institutional support for women’s economic empowerment, the Emir of Kano has endorsed the Promoting Grassroot Women in Agriculture in Nigeria (PROgWAN) initiative. The endorsement came at the official launch and commencement of the pilot training program for 200 smallholder women farmers in Kano State.
Represented by the Sarkin Fadar Kano, Mallam Ado Kurawa, the Emir stated that supporting smallholder women farmers is critical to boosting national food production and improving livelihoods at the grassroots level. He commended the Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation for its pivotal role and urged beneficiaries to leverage the training to achieve self-reliance and extend compassion within their communities.
The PROgWAN initiative, a flagship program of the MIA Foundation, has the bold vision of empowering one million women farmers across Nigeria. This pilot phase in Kano, implemented with strategic support from the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), marks the first concrete step toward that national goal.
“We are addressing the systemic barriers that have held back women who form the backbone of our agricultural sector,” said Hajia Farida Ahmed Tahir, Founder of the MIA Foundation. “Many women farmers suffer from limited access to capital, weak technical knowledge, and poor market access. PROgWAN is designed to change that narrative.”
The pilot phase targets the most disadvantaged women farmers, including smallholders, subsistence farmers, widows, and persons with special needs. The two-day intensive training combines theoretical knowledge with practical field sessions on horticultural crop production. Post-training, participants will receive support packages including modern seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, and necessary funding linkages.
The Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children, and Persons with Special Needs, Hajia Amina Sani Abdullahi, highlighted the program’s alignment with state government priorities. “Training opportunities for women farmers have historically been inadequate,” she noted. “PROgWAN will equip women with the skills to participate effectively in agricultural value chains, thereby improving food security, reducing poverty, and strengthening our economy.”
Echoing the sentiment, the Managing Director of KNARDA, Dr. Farouk Kurawa represented by the Director of Admin and General Services, Hajia Bilkisu Khalil, advised the beneficiaries to apply the acquired knowledge diligently to boost their productivity and income.
Beneficiary Laure Adamu expressed her gratitude, stating, “I will use this knowledge to support my community and transform our farming practices. This is the opportunity we have been waiting for.”
With the successful launch of its pilot phase, the MIA Foundation’s PROgWAN initiative is poised to become a transformative model for women’s empowerment in agriculture, starting in Kano and scaling for impact across Nigeria.
