Entrepreneurship Development
PROgWAN – PROMOTING GRASSROOTS WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA
Promoting Grassroot Women in Agriculture in Nigeria (PROgWAN), is the flagship empowerment initiative of Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation, designed to strengthen the economic resilience of grassroots women through sustainable agriculture, skills development, and structured support systems.
The program addresses systemic barriers limiting women’s productivity in agriculture by combining capacity building, practical field support, cooperative management, and strategic partnerships to deliver measurable and sustainable impact.
Program Goal
To empower 1 million grassroots women in Nigeria with the knowledge, skills, and support required to sustainably increase agricultural productivity, income, and household food security.
Pilot Phase
- Initial pilot implementation in 6 states across Nigeria
- Pilot phase will inform scale-up and nationwide expansion
Why PROgWAN?
Women constitute a significant portion of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, particularly at the grassroots level. However, many rural women farmers operate under severe constraints, including:
- Limited access to modern farming knowledge and extension services
- Low productivity due to outdated practices
- Poor access to productive inputs, markets, and finance
- Minimal integration into value chains and cooperatives
These challenges contribute to persistent poverty, food insecurity, and economic exclusion.
PROgWAN was established to bridge these gaps through targeted, community-driven interventions.
Objectives
- Build women’s capacity in modern farming, clean energy, and post-harvest management
- Support value addition, packaging, and market-oriented production
- Strengthen entrepreneurship, record-keeping, and cooperative systems
- Enhance financial literacy, agribusiness management, and market access
- Advance SDG-aligned agricultural and livelihood practices
Target Beneficiaries
- Grassroot women farmers’ cooperative groups
- Smallholder women farmers
- Women in agribusiness
- Vulnerable and underserved communities
Core Interventions
- Training on modern farming practices
- Practical, hands-on agricultural demonstrations
- Agribusiness and value-addition skills
- Cooperative management and access to markets
- Mentorship, extension, and follow-up support
Implementation Approach
- Community-based and participatory model
- Partnerships with government agencies, cooperatives, and stakeholders
- Phased implementation: Pilot → Scale-up → National coverage
Expected Impact
- Increased agricultural productivity among women
- Improved income and livelihoods
- Enhanced household and community food security
- Stronger women-led agricultural enterprises
