The Federal Government has partnered with the Nigeria Women in Agriculture Progressive Development Initiative (NWAPDI) to equip smallholder farmers with modern tools to succeed in a technology-driven marketplace.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this at the official unveiling of the Sovereign AgroTrade System (SAS) and summit held on Thursday in Abuja.
The Sovereign AgroTrade System is a digital and physical trade infrastructure designed to connect Nigerian farmers, especially women and youth, directly to national and international markets. The summit was themed “Building Wealth from the Soil-Digitally and Inclusively.”
Represented by his Special Adviser on Strategy, Mr Mohammed Jobdi, Abdullahi described the initiative as a landmark contribution to the country’s agricultural transformation. “I am proud to stand here as we witness the official birth of the Sovereign AgroTrade System (SAS), a digital ecosystem created by NWAPDI to transform agriculture from subsistence to significance,” he said.
According to him, SAS includes tools such as AgriXchange Marketplace, NWAPDI Grow, AgriCert, and FarmAssure, representing modern agricultural innovation.
“Through this ecosystem, we are equipping smallholder farmers with the tools to thrive not just to survive in a modern, technology-driven marketplace. Today, we are not just unveiling a platform. We are launching a movement. A movement designed by Nigerians, for Nigerians, particularly our women and youth,” he added.
Abdullahi noted that rural farmers, especially women and youth, have for too long been at the mercy of middlemen, disconnected from global markets, and lacking access to financial systems that could enhance their productivity.
He stated that SAS changes this reality by enabling farmers to access microloans, cooperative financing, savings platforms, and mobile payments through their phones.
“This is financial inclusion redefined, bringing banking to the bush, and banking on our people’s success,” he said.
The minister praised NWAPDI for its vision and determination. “You are not only solving problems, but you are also setting new national standards, reflecting the essence of the Renewed Hope Agenda of empowering people, building inclusive prosperity, and restoring dignity through hard work, innovation, and purpose.
The Federal Government is committed to creating an enabling environment for this system to thrive, scaling its impact, and integrating its data and insights into our broader national agricultural strategy,” he stated.
Earlier, NWAPDI’s National Coordinator, Omolara Svensson, explained that the initiative is designed to move farmers from subsistence to prosperity. She said SAS is more than technology but a promise that farmers will no longer be subject to middlemen and unstable markets.
“This is how we keep our youth on the land, not because they have no other option, but because agriculture now offers dignity, opportunity, and a future worth staying for,” she said.
Svensson described SAS as a bridge connecting farms to markets, farmers to finance, and communities to global opportunities. “It is a tool for wealth creation, food security, and national pride,” she noted.
She urged women farmers, young agrientrepreneurs, and community leaders to embrace the initiative.
“Use it, let it lift you from where you are to where you dream to be because when women farmers rise, nations are fed, economies are strengthened, and communities are transformed,” she added.
Mr Dion Croom, President of Norcom, LLC, and Lead Consortium Partner, said the AgroTrade System was developed to empower women and youth in agriculture while promoting food security and sustainable farming practices.