WIMA moves to provide women-friendly agricultural equipment

A group, Women in Mechanised Agriculture Association (WIMA), has unveiled an agribusiness model to provide women-friendly agricultural equipment for women farmers across the country.

The WIMA Board of Trustees Chair, Dr. Aisha Waziri, who disclosed this during a media parley in Abuja, said the aim is to foster social inclusion for women in both rural and urban areas, saying agricultural mechanisation is a game-changer that will improve the way women engage in farming.

She said: “Mechanisation changes the game. It enhances efficiency, reduces labour, 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 organisation has been working with women farmers since 2019, emphasising that they want a “for-us-by-us arrangement that will deliver mechanised 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.”

Yakubu added that WIMA is a business membership organisation wherein members own mechanised equipment. “Their mechanised 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, adding that the association has established 24 mechanisation hubs across Nigeria, where women-run operations provide essential services to local farmers.

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

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

The National Coordinator of WIMA, Hadiza Abakaruna, disclosed that the programme 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 mechanised 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.

Abakaruna added that WIMA currently operates in four states – Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, and Adamawa, with about three hubs in each state.

The President said they are also about establishing the hubs in Plateau, Borno and Bauchi states.