The Women Farmers Advancement Network, WOFAN, under its WOFAN-ICON2 Project is planning to empower one million Peoples with Disabilities, PWDs across seven African countries.
This was disclosed by the Country Director, WOFAN-ICON2 Project, Dr Salamatu Garba, during WOFAN’s annual review meeting with stakeholders on Tuesday in Kano.
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According to her, the WOFAN-ICON2 Project, implemented in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation’s “We Can Work” program, seeks to empower one million PWDs across seven African countries.
She explained that the effort aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Strategy, which aims to create dignified work opportunities for 30 million young people in Africa by 2030.
She added that WOFAN aims to provide specialized support, including hearing aids in collaboration with Eye, Nose and Throat, ENT specialists to them, ‘’ Dr Garba said.
“In terms of inclusivity, this project will support people with disabilities not only with tricycles and motorbikes, as we did in 2024, but also with hearing aids for those with hearing challenges. We’ve partnered with specialists in ENT care to assist in this regard.’’
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Highlighting the organization’s achievements further, Dr Garba disclosed that WOFAN had empowered over 680,000 community partners across nine states in Nigeria within two years.
Dr Garba highlighted the achievements of the WOFAN Icon2 Project, which has been operational for two years since its inception in 2023, and shared plans for its third year in 2025.
She emphasized WOFAN’s ongoing efforts to amplify women’s voices and strengthen their roles in community decision-making.
“Already, two women supported by WOFAN have been appointed as leaders in their communities, serving as treasurer and vice president in local groups,” she noted.
‘’WOFAN’s initiatives also extend to micro agro-marketers. “Micro agro-marketers, often overlooked, are a focal point of our initiatives for 2025,” Dr. Garba explained.
The organization plans to organize these marketers into groups, link them to financial aid through the WOFAN Startup Grant, and support improved operations, hygiene, and nutritional standards.
She outlined WOFAN’s plans to enhance mechanization efforts through partnerships with agricultural institutions, facilitating spare parts fabrication and training local artisans in equipment maintenance and operation.
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The country director highlighted the organization’s green energy initiative, which introduces the DEHOSCA machine for rice processing.
This machine produces coarse shells suitable for eco-friendly briquettes, reducing reliance on charcoal and promoting environmental sustainability.
“Our primary goal is to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders and contribute significantly to food security in Nigeria,” Dr. Garba emphasized.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of WOFAN, Sadiq Hassan Zakaria, highlighted the achievements of the WOFAN Icon 2 Project.
“The project, implemented across nine states in Nigeria, has significantly improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, logistics providers, and persons with disabilities,”he said.
Since its launch in 2023 as a scale-up of the successful Icon 1 Project, the initiative has reached over 675,000 community partners in two years.
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Zakaria detailed WOFAN’s efforts in capacity building, noting that over 1,142 extension workers were trained in areas such as ICT-led agriculture, good agronomic practices, and market linkages.
‘’These workers have provided hands-on training to farmers, enhancing agricultural productivity. Farmers also received high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals promptly, which improved their farming outcomes,” he added.
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