Transforming Farming and Community: Sunusi Yanzaki’s Story

KANO STATE, NIGERIA – Now a Community Field Trainer for vegetable cultivation, Sunusi Yanzaki started out as a cereal farmer. His embrace of modern vegetable farming techniques through East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation has brought him remarkable success on his 1,000-square-meter tomato farm in Minjibir Local Government Area.
Initially, Sunusi just watched as his friends began implementing new methods to grow vegetables under the Transforming Nigeria’s Vegetable Markets project, co-funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Then, inspired by their success, he transitioned to vegetable farming himself.
With guidance from EWS-KT field staff, he began large-scale tomato production, strategically timed for harvest during the scarcity period. His tomato crop returned substantial profits, which he used to purchase a motorbike and an irrigation pump to enhance efficiency.

As Sunusi’s farm thrived, passersby and fellow farmers stopped to see the results and learn about the techniques he used. He was always happy to give them advice.
Sunusi received more training from EWS-KT to become a Community Field Trainer, and he recently completed a refresher training to keep his skills and knowledge up to date.
In his role as a Community Field Trainer, Sunusi actively shares his knowledge with others, motivating them to adopt improved practices. Reflecting on his transformation, he said, “The knowledge I gained from EWS-KT didn’t just transform my farming; it gave me the tools to transform an entire community.”