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Safiyanu’s Story: Transforming Gidan Gambo—and Beyond—Through Modern Farming

Posted On: July 17, 2024
Safiyanu Abubakar adjusts the trellis for his tomato plants.

KANO STATE, NIGERIA – Safiyanu Abubakar, a 35-year-old farmer from Gidan Gambo, a large community in Bunkure, has redefined success in agriculture.

Married with three children, Safiyanu encountered the EWS-KT intervention 4 years ago, starting with a demonstration farm set up in his community. Despite being a late adopter of the improved techniques he learned, his dedication led to his selection as a key farmer, specializing in tomato and onion production.

After he gained certification as a key farmer, Safiyanu’s expertise in bed preparation, seedling production, fertilizer application, and mulching brought him community recognition. He began sharing his work on social media, leading to opportunities beyond Gidan Gambo.

Soon he had a new business setting up vegetable demos in Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, and even Abuja, covering crops like cucumber, watermelon, tomato, onion, and sweet corn.

Women of all ages participate in neem oil production.
Women engage in neem oil production in Gidan Gambo.

Back in Gidan Gambo, Safiyanu led the formation of a farmers’ association. The 50 members of the association (38 men and 12 women) train farmers in neighboring communities, collectively handling projects within Kano state. The women also produce neem oil, which farmers increasingly use as a biopesticide, and engage in home gardening, planting okra, cabbage, and cucumber.

This collaboration has improved their livelihoods significantly. The community now enjoys benefits like paying the children’s school fees, acquiring land, and building with cement blocks. Most importantly, they are grateful for the positive social changes brought by the impact of modern vegetable farming.

Farmer Safiyanu Abubakar, his wife, and one of their children sit in a field of well-mulched tomato plants.
Safiyanu with his wife and one of their children. His wife praised the initiative, highlighting the newly purchased land for women to grow vegetables—a significant social change.

Safiyanu Abubakar was trained in improved vegetable farming methods under the Transforming Nigeria’s Vegetable Markets project (2019–2024), which was co-funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the SDG Partnership Facility, a grant program managed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Gidan Gambo was the first community that EWS-KT worked with in Kano state, and nearly all the farmers in Gidan Gambo and neighboring communities have now adopted EWS-KT techniques.

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