Editor's Note: Nigerian agripreneur Erisa Danlani received support to expand her wheat production through the Nigeria Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket programme, funded by a$170 million African Development Bank loan. The program forms part of the Bank's $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Production Facility, which helps African countries to produce more food and strengthen food security in response supply disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other global shocks.
We asked Danlani to detail her experience in the Agro Pocket programme and how wheat farming as an enterprise has changed her life. Her testimony has been edited for brevity and clarity.
"My name is Erisa Danladi. I'm 44 years old, a mother of three, and I live and farm in Dogon Ruwa Awak, Gombe State, Nigeria. I studied at the University of Jos, but life led me back to the land. Today, I also serve as the rganising ecretary of the All Farmers' Association of Nigeria in Gombe State.
After completing my National Youth Service Corps scheme [a mandatory one-year post-tertiary programme established to foster national unity, reconciliation, and development among Nigerian graduates], I searched for a job, but nothing steady came. One day I asked myself: with so much arable land around us in Gombe, why should I keep waiting for a job that may not come? That decision -- about 16 years ago -- was the beginning of my farming journey.
With help from family, I set up my farm and started with three hectares of maize. Like many farmers around me, I used the traditional method -- saving seeds from the previous harvest and planting them again. It felt right and familiar, but the results showed the weakness of that approach. From one hectare, I averaged about 24 bags of 50kg each. After paying for labor and other costs, my income was modest.
Then something changed. One cool Saturday evening in October 2024, I was at home with my family listening to the radio when I heard an announcement: the Nigeria Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket programme, a nationwide project of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was calling on farmers to register. The following Monday I went straight to the State Ministry of Agriculture to ask questions and understand what it really meant.
At the Ministry, I met Laban Maina, a director there. He explained the programme clearly -- especially the plan to expand wheat cultivation in Nigeria -- and what support participating farmers would receive. The logic was simple to me: if I could access better inputs, learn improved practices, and have a reliable market, then my yields and income should improve. I registered that day, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made.
Agro Pocket elevated my farming in ways I honestly didn't expect. The project provided climate-smart wheat seeds, subsidised fertiliser and herbicide, and -- just as important -- training on good agronomic practices. My results changed dramatically.
In the last wheat season, I harvested 133 bags of 50kg from my two-hectare wheat farm. And selling -- usually the hardest part for many farmers -- was not a problem. The Flour Millers Association of Nigeria provided a ready market, and a buyer picked up my entire produce on Nigeria Flour Mill's behalf.
Because of that, my income increased by more than 200%. I am a widow, so that increase was more than just "profit" on paper -- it meant stability at home. It helped me meet my family's needs, especially paying my children's school fees. Farming feels rewarding again, and I truly hope the program continues. I'm working toward expanding my wheat farm to between 5 and 10 hectares."
Beyond Erisa's story, the goal of the Nigeria Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket is bigger: strengthening food security in Nigeria by helping farmers produce , rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, cassava and other crops.
The initiative aligns with the African Development Bank Group's Four Cardinal Points strategic compass, which includes building resilience and adding value to the products Africa produces. By increasing domestic food production, strengthening agricultural value chains and reducing vulnerability to external food supply shocks, the program is helping create a more resilient agricultural sector while supporting long-term economic growth. Its focus on smallholder farmers, women and young people also contributes to the Bank's goal of harnessing Africa's demographic growth as a driver of economic opportunity and development.
