From farmer to processor: How Lydia turned credit into opportunity
In Ogun State, Nigeria, Lydia is showing what is possible when rural women gain access to the right financial tools and training. As a cassava farmer who once struggled to scale her business, Lydia is now not only expanding production but also processing her own harvest, creating more value, income and independence.
Like many women in agriculture, Lydia faced challenges: limited access to finance, little exposure to market opportunities and uncertainty about how to grow sustainably. That changed when she participated in the Farmer Financial Cycle (FFC) training supported by our German funded Global Project Promotion of Agricultural Finance (GP AgFin).
“Before the training, I thought loans were only for big businesses,” Lydia explains. “I didn’t know someone like me could use credit to grow.” The training introduced her to practical financial tools, like cost tracking, income planning and risk awareness, and shifted her mindset.
After the training, Lydia took a loan through LAPO Microfinance Bank and expanded her cassava farm from one to five acres. She also secured a contract farming agreement with Premium Cassava Products Limited (PCPL), a subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria. With stable access to finance and a guaranteed market for her crop, her confidence and income grew.
“FFC taught me how to keep records, calculate costs and plan ahead. I repaid my cassava loan in ten months,” she shares. Later, she took a smaller loan for tomato farming and repaid it even faster. The fact that LAPO required no collateral, just two guarantors, made it accessible for women agripreneurs like her.
With her profits, Lydia invested in a 12-step dehydrator, which allowed her to start processing cassava. “Now I’m not just a farmer. I’m a processor too,” she says proudly. Processing helped her increase efficiency, improve product quality and add value to every harvest.
The impact has extended beyond her business. “Before, my husband handled all household expenses. Now I contribute equally. We plan together.” Her financial independence has changed the way decisions are made at home and inspired other women in her community.
Lydia’s story is a reminder that access to finance, paired with the right knowledge, can unlock new possibilities for women in agriculture. “Loans aren’t something to fear,” she says. “If you plan well, they can help you grow.”
With continued support from GP AgFin implemented by GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS and its partners, more women like Lydia are growing their businesses and leading change in Nigeria’s rural economy.
Author: Ritter Rose, GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS