CDA and WOFAN Launch Strategic Partnership to Train 300 Students Annually and Boost Agribusiness

The Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University, Kano, in collaboration with the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) and the Faculty of Agriculture, has concluded plans to train 300 Agriculture students annually in agribusiness, value addition, processing, and production under the SIBLING Project.

The initiative, which targets 300–400 level students of the Faculty of Agriculture, was disclosed during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Haruna Musa, fsi, by a joint delegation from WOFAN, CDA and the Faculty of Agriculture, led respectively by WOFAN’s Executive Director, Dr Salamatu Garba, the CDA Director, Professor Sanusi Gaya Mohammed, and the Dean of Agriculture, Professor Muhammad Auwal Hussain.

Under the project, CDA has allocated a two-hectare demonstration plot, while the Faculty of Agriculture has provided 25 hectares for large-scale production and training activities. The programme also includes practical exposure to agricultural value chains and entrepreneurship.

Receiving the delegation, the Vice-Chancellor commended the partnership, describing it as a strategic intervention for youth and women empowerment, particularly noting that 180 out of the 300 trainees are women. He emphasized the need to prioritise wives of junior staff, the less privileged, and surrounding communities, adding that the initiative would strengthen town-and-gown relations and promote inclusive development.

Earlier, Professor Sanusi Gaya Mohammed highlighted the long-standing collaboration between CDA and WOFAN, noting that the partnership had recently expanded to include access to a national storage facility secured through the National Storage Productivity Institute of Nigeria. He added that WOFAN has also committed to providing processing machinery to support hands-on training for students.

In her remarks, Dr Salamatu Garba said the initiative was designed to change the narrative of women and youth participation in agriculture through practical skills, access to land, inputs, and guaranteed markets. She revealed plans to introduce processing and packaging of agricultural produce, including a proposed “CDA/WOFAN Rice” brand for sale within the university community.

She explained that women participants would be allocated plots from the designated farmland, with WOFAN providing land preparation, inputs at subsidised rates, and immediate purchase of harvested produce. Outstanding students, she added, would receive start-up support, including equipment, storage facilities, and small grants.

The Chairman of the WOFAN Board, Professor Sani Miko, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for supporting what he described as a credible and sustainable partnership, noting that the SIBLING initiative is driven by research outputs aimed at transforming livelihoods through commercial agriculture. He said CDA’s expertise in dryland agriculture and value addition makes it a critical stakeholder in the project.

Earlier, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano, Professor Muhammad Auwal Hussain, explained that the initiative originated from a request by a group of students and wives of staff who approached WOFAN for support, leading to their invitation to present proposals under the project. He added that two communities from Zango were deliberately included in the programme to further strengthen town-and-gown relations and promote inclusive community development."