In a major step toward promoting climate-smart agriculture and women’s economic empowerment, the FCDO-funded Propcom+ programme has supported the Mata Zalla Cooperative Society with electric vehicles for rural agro-cargo transportation in Northern Nigeria.
The initiative, tagged “Mata Zalla Small Agro Logistics Service,” aims to connect smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, to markets through clean, affordable, and efficient logistics solutions.
A beneficiary of the initiative, a 30-year-old tricycle operator from Kano, Mary Micheal described the support as life-changing. She said the introduction of electric vehicles would help reduce transportation costs, boost her income, and improve farmers’ access to markets.
“I will continue conveying passengers with my tricycle, while the electric vehicles will be used to move farm produce,” she explained. “This will make transportation cheaper and strengthen our local economy since most Kura residents are farmers.”
The President of Mata Zalla Cooperative Society Hajiya Hauwa Ahmed, said the initiative has transformed what began as a small women-led group into a driving force for sustainable transport and inclusive growth.
“With support from Propcom+, our goal is to reduce post-harvest losses, increase farmers’ income, and promote green economic growth while creating decent jobs for women and youth,” she said. “Empowering women economically is not just a social cause it’s an economic necessity.”
In her remarks, the Propcom+ Country director, Dr. Adiya Ode, represented by Mr Ahmed Nuru, described the project as a continuation of an “electric momentum” that began with the UK-funded LINKS Programme, where Mata Zalla women first operated electric tricycles in Kano with financing support from Alternative Bank.
“Today, we celebrate a new chapter 20 electric vehicles, a solar-powered charging station, and a logistics hub,” she stated. “These are not just assets; they are pathways to prosperity, climate resilience, and inclusive growth.”
Dr. Ode added that the initiative would reduce reliance on combustion engines, promote clean energy adoption, and enhance women’s participation in the agricultural value chain.
“Mata Zalla is not just a cooperative it is a catalyst for change,” she said. “Propcom+ remains committed to improving the incomes and climate resilience of 3.79 million Nigerians half of whom will be women by 2030.”
The event concluded with the official launch of the electric vehicles by the Kano State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, followed by a demonstration parade by the cooperative’s drivers.