Eager to overcome harsh economic realities, 10 women in the Barkun region of Nigeria’s Kano State teamed up in 2021 to form an association for collective trading, Barkum Women Rice Processors. This move was initiated after training under the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), implemented by SAA, and which taught the women on value addition, record-keeping, group dynamics, market access, and financial management, among other skills.

 “The training was pivotal in helping us manage our finances effectively. We bought rice at N23,400 per bag and sold it at a profit,” said Mrs. Hajara Yusuf, the group’s leader.

Empowered by their diligent record keeping and strategic trading, the association secured a N8.8 million (USD 10,512) loan from JAIZ Bank, which they repaid within a year and remained with N400,000 in savings.

 “The KSADP/SAA project has empowered us financially, allowing us to better support our families.”

The association, which has grown to a membership of 38, now aims to leverage the knowledge gained from KSADP/ SAA training to expand their processing operations by acquiring a rice milling machine.

Retrieved from SAA E-Newsletter, issued in February 2024, titled "Transforming Food Systems in Nigeria"