In Jigawa State, Nigeria, HarvestPlus Solutions is championing women as indispensable pillars of rural agriculture and household nutrition. By placing female farmers at the heart of its seed distribution program, the initiative is empowering women while advancing agricultural sustainability and family health.

At a recent engagement in Jigawa—a region marked by resilience but also significant agricultural challenges—at least 30,000 farmers, most of them women, each received two kilograms of iron pearl millet seed. Among the beneficiaries was Kaltume Badamasi, a farmer and homemaker from the Idanduna community in Jahun Local Government Area (LGA).

Speaking with gratitude weeks after the distribution, Kaltume recalled; “when you brought us this seed, we truly appreciated it. I had never seen or planted it before, but I embraced the opportunity. I thought, let me try it as a woman, because they said it has high nutrients.”

Beyond distributing seed, HarvestPlus Solutions also trained the women on good agronomic practices and sensitized them on the nutritional benefits of biofortified crops. For Kaltume, this was the beginning of a new journey. She learned that unlike traditional millet and bean varieties, biofortified crops provide higher yields and are rich sources of iron, zinc, and protein.

Despite planting late, Kaltume’s results were remarkable; “I planted the seed despite a little delay, but the crop has grown far beyond my expectations. I really appreciate this initiative. May Allah bless you.”

She has already seen the benefits within her own household, successfully intercropping the iron pearl millet with other crops without any challenges. Looking ahead, she is confident the harvest will deliver even greater impact for her and her community.

This transition to more climate-smart and nutrient-rich millet varieties underscores the vital role women play—not only in food production but also in safeguarding family nutrition and community wellbeing. By equipping women like Kaltume with quality seed and knowledge, HarvestPlus Solutions is enabling them to become champions of health and nutrition at both household and community levels.