Boosting Rural Futures: 15,000 Women Set to Transform Cassava Farming with Major Backing

A bold new push to uplift thousands of young women in agriculture kicked off this week, as Psaltry International Company Limited teams up with key partners to train and equip 15,000 female farmers in cassava production. The effort, backed by the National Agricultural Development Fund and First City Monument Bank, promises to cultivate fresh opportunities across 2,000 hectares of farmland.

At the heart of this initiative is a targeted lending program under the Psaltry-IDH-Mastercard framework. It focuses on women aged 18 to 35, providing them with essential resources to kickstart their ventures. From land preparation and plowing to fertilizers, pesticides, and other vital inputs, the funding ensures these aspiring growers have what they need to thrive right from the start.

Oluyemisi Iranloye, the driving force behind Psaltry as its Chief Executive Officer, shared her excitement during a special gathering that doubled as the company's 20th anniversary celebration. "This is a milestone we could not have reached without the unwavering support of our partners," she remarked, giving a heartfelt nod to the National Agricultural Development Fund's Executive Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, and the broader network of collaborators. Their involvement has been crucial, she noted, not just for this project but for Psaltry's long track record of innovation in the sector.

Over the past two decades, Psaltry has quietly revolutionized how Nigeria approaches cassava. The company has championed the shift from imported wheat flour to homegrown cassava alternatives in manufacturing, supplying food-grade starch to giants like Nigerian Breweries and Nestle. They've even pioneered cassava-derived sorbitol for everyday toothpaste and ultra-pure hydrogen for industrial uses, proving that local roots can fuel global progress.

For these 15,000 women, the stakes feel deeply personal. Many come from rural communities where economic hurdles often sideline talent and ambition. This program isn't just about planting seeds; it's about sowing independence, building skills, and fostering a network that could ripple through families and villages for generations. As Iranloye put it, it's a celebration of resilience and a bet on the power of collective effort to reshape agriculture's landscape.

With partners like NADF and FCMB stepping up, the initiative signals a growing momentum in gender-inclusive farming. Experts say it could boost local food security while creating sustainable income streams, turning what was once a staple crop into a ladder for empowerment. As Psaltry marks two decades of impact, this latest chapter underscores a simple truth: When women lead the fields, everyone reaps the harvest.