Writing by Khadijah Aliyu;Editing by Abubakar Hamza.
The Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has partnered with the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) and the Faculty of Agriculture to train 300 Agriculture students annually in agribusiness, value addition, processing, and production under the SIBLING Project.
The initiative, targeting 300–400 level students, was unveiled during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Haruna Musa, by a joint delegation from WOFAN, CDA, and the Faculty of Agriculture.
Under the project, CDA has allocated a two-hectare demonstration plot, while the Faculty of Agriculture has provided 25 hectares for large-scale production and hands-on training.
The programme also exposes students to agricultural value chains, entrepreneurship, and practical skills for sustainable agribusiness.
Speaking during the visit, Professor Musa praised the partnership as a strategic intervention for youth and women empowerment, noting that 180 of the 300 trainees are women.
He emphasized that the initiative would prioritize wives of junior staff, the less privileged, and surrounding communities, while also strengthening town-and-gown relations and promoting inclusive development.
Highlighting the collaboration, the Director CDA Professor Sanusi Gaya Mohammed noted that CDA and WOFAN had recently secured access to a national storage facility through the National Storage Productivity Institute of Nigeria.
In her remarks WOFAN Country Director, Dr.Salamatu Garba explained that the initiative aims to transform women and youth participation in agriculture through skills acquisition, access to land and inputs, and guaranteed markets.
She revealed plans to introduce processing and packaging of agricultural produce, including a proposed “CDA/WOFAN Rice” brand for sale within the university community.
“Women participants will be allocated plots, with WOFAN providing land preparation, subsidized inputs, and immediate purchase of harvested produce. Outstanding students will receive start-up support, including equipment, storage facilities, and small grants to kickstart their agribusiness ventures”
Also speaking, the Dean Faculty of Agriculture,Professor Muhammad Auwal Hussain, stressed that the initiative originated from requests by students and staff spouses, and deliberately included two communities from Zango to further strengthen community engagement and inclusive development.
Khadijah Aliyu.
