Obinrin Stories by Obinrin Farms: putting Nigerian women in agriculture on the map, one story at a time.
Kamilat Balogun on her tomato farm in Akinyele, Ibadan.
In 2020, Kamilat Balogun was working in building construction in Lagos, with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She had always wanted to do something more impactful, and the COVID-19 lockdown gave her the push she needed.
She resigned, moved to Ibadan and started farming. Today, she is the Founder and Team Lead of Kamroot Farms, a climate-smart horticulture business in Akinyele, Ibadan, and a training hub for hundreds of smallholder farmers.
Staked tomato rows at Kamroot Farms.
Kamroot Farms grows tomatoes and other horticultural crops sustainably, with a focus on:
Beyond her own farm, Kamilat has supported about 258 smallholder farmers: 117 women, 94 youths and 47 older farmers. She trains them through practical demonstrations and community sessions on eco-friendly farming, safe input use and sustainable production.
She also connects farmers with buyers and certified input suppliers, so they are less likely to buy low-quality or adulterated inputs. As she puts it:
“Production alone doesn’t guarantee profitability.”
Kamilat started Kamroot Farms in June 2020 with fish farming, then moved fully into horticulture in March 2022. She didn’t have a farming background, but she had a clear vision: to produce healthy, safe food and to be the reason another girl like her dares to dream.
As the farm grew, Kamilat noticed something important: food loss doesn’t start at the market. It starts on the farm. Many losses could be prevented if crops were produced, managed and harvested better.
So she shifted her focus to growing healthier, firmer tomatoes with a longer shelf life that can survive transport and market handling. That shift turned Kamroot Farms into a climate-smart horticulture business and a place where other farmers come to learn.
Drip irrigation for efficient water use at Kamroot Farms.
Kamilat’s biggest challenge was getting the professional and technical knowledgeneeded to build a sustainable agribusiness.
She handled it through continuous learning, hands-on experience and actively seeking out other agripreneurs and industry experts. Step by step, she built better production practices and a more sustainable business model. Today, she passes those lessons on to other aspiring agripreneurs, especially women and young people.
“Building a successful agribusiness is a continuous learning process because the willingness to learn, to embrace opportunities and seek mentorship does make a significant difference.”
“For me, success is not just about what I harvest from my farm, but more importantly, the knowledge I share, the lives I impact and the food losses I help to prevent.”
Kamilat is proud that Kamroot Farms helps build a more sustainable and inclusive agricultural sector in Nigeria, one where women and young people have the knowledge, skills and opportunities to thrive and grow alongside her.
Fresh tomatoes from Kamroot Farms.
“You do not need to know everything or have everything figured out before you start. All you need is the courage to take the first step, the willingness to learn, the determination to keep improving and a clear intention to achieve your goals.
Your beginning may be small and the journey may not always be easy, but every step, every mistake and every lesson will definitely bring you closer to your vision. So, start where you are, learn as you grow and never let what you lack today stop you from building what you dream of tomorrow.”
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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