Obinrin Stories by Obinrin Farms: putting Nigerian women in agriculture on the map, one story at a time.
Adanne Uche with Ady’s range of spices, seasonings and palm oil.
In 2017, Adanne Uche started a small food and grocery business with about ₦30,000. She bought food products straight from Lagos markets like Mile 12 and Oyingbo and resold them.
Today, she is the Founder and CEO of Ady’s Agro Processing Limited, a Lagos-based food-processing company that works with farmers across Nigeria and makes products that can compete beyond the local market.
Ady’s sources produce from local farmers and turns it into healthy, natural food products, including:
Ady’s at The Wellness & Style Week. Photo: EM.
Buying and selling food showed Adanne the gaps in Nigeria’s food value chain. She saw how much produce is lost after harvest and how badly the market needs properly processed, well-packaged Nigerian foods.
That led her into agro-processing. A business that started in her kitchen grew into Ady’s Agro Processing Limited.
Like many women in agribusiness, Adanne’s biggest hurdle has been access to finance and the right processing infrastructure.
“Growing a food manufacturing business requires equipment, power, certifications, packaging and working capital.”
Inside Ady’s processing facility.
Her approach:
The Ady’s team in the processing room.
Ady’s now works with farmers across Nigeria. Adanne is proud of the jobs the company has created and the farmers it supports. She is also proud of the women and young people it has trained and inspired, with more than 2,310 people supported so far.
“Agriculture is much bigger than farming.”
“Start with what you have. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. Agriculture is much bigger than farming; there are opportunities in processing, packaging, technology, logistics, marketing, distribution and many other areas. Be willing to learn, stay consistent and do not be afraid to start small. Most importantly, build a business that solves a real problem.”
“When more women in agriculture share their journeys, other women can see what is possible and be encouraged to start.”
When Obinrin Farms Started, We searched Google for women doing well in agriculture in Nigeria, and We kept finding the same few faces. Years later, not much has changed.
Yet women are doing wonders across our agriculture: farming, processing, packaging, trading and selling at the roadside. Obinrin Stories publishes their journeys so anyone can find them with a simple search, and so the next young woman who wants to start knows it’s possible.
Obinrin means woman.
Know a woman in agriculture whose story should be told? Send us a DM on Instagram @obinrinfarms.
Farming Isn’t Dirty.
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