Women in Mechanized Agriculture Association (WIMA) has unveiled an agribusiness model to provide women-friendly agricultural equipment for women farmers.

The chairman of the WMA Board of Trustees, Dr. Aisha Yakubu Bako, during a media parley in Abuja, said their aim was to foster social inclusion for women in both rural and urban areas, saying agricultural mechanization is a game changer that would improve the way women engage in farming

She said, “Mechanization changes the game. It enhances efficiency, reduces labor, and allows women to scale up their farming activities. Without it, commercial agriculture remains out of reach for many women.”

The President of WIMA, Aisha Yakubu, stated that the organization has been working with women farmers since 2019, emphasizing that they want a ‘for-us-by-us’ arrangement that delivers mechanized services to women in remote locations.

She said, “We understand the kind of equipment women need, and we know that they can’t afford these machines. This led us to form an association where we acquire the implements and use them to provide services.”

She added that WIMA is a business membership organization wherein members own mechanized equipment. Their mechanized services span tractors, harvesters, threshing, irrigation, and spraying services, ensuring that women have access to equipment across all agricultural activities.

“Through this initiative, we enable women to balance their roles as farmers, mothers, and wives while still advancing in commercial agriculture,” she added.

Yakubu disclosed that WIMA is currently active in 19 states, with seven states fully operational. The association has established 24 mechanization hubs across Nigeria, where women-run operations provide essential services to local farmers.

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She further maintained that WIMA is also an investment platform for women, allowing them to invest in mechanized equipment while someone else provides the services in villages, ensuring they receive returns on investment.

Yakubu also disclosed plans by the association to support the public sector through advocacy and the promotion of policies to ensure agricultural policies consider women in the sector.

A member of the Board of Trustees for WIMA, Heather Ronke Akanni, underscored the need for the government to formulate policies that support women in mechanized agriculture.

The Project Team Lead of WIMA, Hadiza Abakaruna, disclosed that the program started with the support of the Mastercard Foundation in 2020, stating that the community leaders usually determine the equipment deployed to each community.

She stated that so far, they have provided mechanized services for over 2,000 women, adding that WIMA has been providing these services under a vendor financing model, where they supply the implements while the vendors repay in installments.

She added that WIMA currently operates in four states, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, and Adamawa, with a plan to establish more hubs in Plateau, Borno, and Bauchi State.