Leading Agribusiness Company Reaches Over 625,000 Smallholder Farmers Across Nigeria Through Financing, Extension Services, Processing, and Market Integration
Palm Valley Nigeria Limited (PVNL), a leading Nigerian agribusiness and agricultural development company, continues to strengthen its position as one of the country’s most impactful rural development partners, having supported over 625,000 smallholder farmers across multiple states since its establishment in 2008.
Founded with a vision of improving and sustaining the livelihoods of women and youth in rural communities, PVNL has evolved into a full-service agricultural development and agribusiness company delivering innovative financing, certified agricultural inputs, modern processing solutions, extension services, produce aggregation, and market linkage support across major crop value chains including maize, soybean, rice, and ginger.
Driven by its core values of Collaboration, Integrity, Transparency, and Excellence, the company combines technical expertise, community engagement, and strategic partnerships to deliver scalable and sustainable agricultural solutions that improve productivity, strengthen resilience, and increase farmer incomes.
Building a Foundation for Inclusive Agriculture
For over 16 years, PVNL has supported smallholder farmers through inclusive service delivery models, providing input-based financing that enables access to quality seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals without cash disbursement, while promoting accountability and improved repayment outcomes.
The company also operates input stores for certified and quality farm inputs, delivers continuous technical support through trained Extension Workers, and strengthens value chains through logistics and aggregation systems that improve distribution efficiency, market access, and reduce post-harvest losses.
MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AND IMPACT
OCP Africa Agrobooster Programme: Reaching Over 500,000 Farmers
PVNL has maintained a strong partnership with OCP Africa for over four years, supporting smallholder farmers across Nigeria through the delivery of specialized fertilizer blends that enhance productivity and yields. The company also manages OCP input hubs in Kaduna State and collaborates in providing quality extension services to farmers within its operational areas.
Since 2019, this partnership has contributed significantly to grassroots agricultural development under the Agribooster Programme, through which over 500,000 smallholder farmers cultivating 0.5–1 hectare of land have been trained and supported across multiple communities in Nigeria.
AGRA Gender Consortium: Empowering 50,000 Women Farmers
In 2022, PVNL partnered with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) under the Gender Consortium Project in Kaduna and Niger States.
The transformative three-year initiative focused on enhancing resilience and strengthening gender-inclusive rural economies by onboarding 50,000 smallholder women and youth farmers annually between 2022 and 2024.
Under this programme, PVNL established two fully equipped Women Agro-Processing Centres in each participating state and supported women with 48 metal point-of-sale kiosks to improve market access and strengthen women-led agribusiness activities while implementing Village Savings Schemes that promoted financial inclusion among women farmers. to improve market access and strengthen women-led agribusiness activities.
WOFAN ICON2 Programme: A Five-Year Commitment to over 300,000 Beneficiaries
In late 2022, Palm Valley Nigeria Ltd (PVNL) entered into a landmark partnership with Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) under the Mastercard Foundation-funded WOFAN ICON2 Programme.
The five-year programme, spanning 2023 to 2028, onboarded and supported 309,000 community partners across Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Benue States over the past four years. Beneficiaries comprise 80% women and 20% men, all within the youth age bracket of 18–35 years.
Under this project, PVNL established 51 fully equipped makeshift centres across target communities to enhance local processing and value addition activities. The centres are equipped with processing machines, renewable energy systems, farm tools, and other production equipment aimed at improving productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, and strengthening agribusiness opportunities for beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the program’s sustainability component, introduced in Year 3 (2025) has supported over 114,000 community partners, particularly Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Micro Produce Marketers (MPM), and Transport and Logistics Service Providers (LSP). Under this intervention, PVNL established 60 PWD business hubs, distributed 120 logistics tricycles, and over 680 tons of rice to MPM, alongside wheelchairs, food coolers, umbrellas, and other items distributed based on the specific needs of the various beneficiary categories.
SWAY-AGFin Programme: Financing and Produce Aggregation at Scale
Between 2021 and 2024 PVNL implemented the Smallholder Women and Youth Agric Finance (SWAY-AGFin) Programme in partnership with Sterling Bank.
Through this initiative, over 10,000 women and youth farmers received input financing and produce aggregation support across Kaduna and Nasarawa States. The programme facilitated the aggregation of more than 5,000 metric tons of produce and generated a revenue base exceeding ₦3 billion.
The initiative focused on improving access to affordable agricultural inputs while strengthening repayment systems, aggregation efficiency, and market participation among smallholder farmers.
IDH-PVNL Project
The IDH–PVNL project, a partnership with IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative, strengthens the maize and soybean value chain through regenerative agriculture in Kaduna and Nasarawa States. In 2025, about 4,000 farmers were trained and supported with over 20,000 tree seedlings, while an additional 1,000 farmers will be onboarded in 2026, bringing total reach to 5,000 farmers in two years.
Ginger Processing and Value Addition
As part of its integrated agribusiness strategy, PVNL operates modern ginger production and processing facilities equipped with advanced processing equipment to support value addition, improve product quality, reduce post-harvest losses, and facilitate access to premium domestic and international markets for processed agricultural commodities. Through its partnership with GIZ EU VACE, PVNL has further expanded its involvement in the ginger value chain by supporting increased ginger production, mitigating fungal attacks through training on Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) and seed multiplication, promoting modern processing practices, facilitating market access for smallholder farmers, and coordinating input financing and aggregation under the programme.
Voices from the Field
Across PVNL projects, interventions have improved productivity, income, enterprise growth, and household welfare through access to inputs, training, infrastructure, and inclusive support services. These selected stories reflect only a small sample of wider outcomes across communities, demonstrating strengthened livelihoods and resilience among farmers, women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
Aisha Tanimu Muhammad – Niger State (AGRA Project)
“I have a sick husband who has been down for years, and all household responsibilities were on me. Through the AGRA project, I was given a kiosk shop as a selling point. I also received training on improved processing and packaging, which increased my customers and income.
The support has enabled me to send my children to school, contribute to my husband’s medical bills, and even support my son’s marriage, all without begging.”
Zainab Adamu – Niger State (AGRA Project)
“I obtained a POS machine and managed a POS business in the kiosk provided to me by PVNL under the AGRA project, and my business has grown significantly. Through this support, I have been able to sponsor my son’s education and also contribute significantly to his marriage. Before PVNL came my way, I felt completely helpless.”
Joshua Hassan – Chikun LGA, Kaduna State (WOFAN ICON2 Programme)
“I have found relief through the ICON2 business hub constructed in my community at Kujama by PVNL, which has taken away the burden of rent I could not afford for years while struggling to sustain my tailoring business. I had been helpless, searching for a place to continue my work and support my livelihood. I am very grateful that PVNL came to my community.
Through the wheelchair I received, I am now able to move myself to my business shop and continue my work with dignity and independence.”
Sule Iliya – Ikara LGA, Kaduna State (SWAY-AGFin Project)
“Before participating in the SWAY-AGFin Project, I faced major constraints including lack of access to quality inputs, credit, and modern farming knowledge. In 2022, I cultivated 2 hectares of maize and harvested 6.0 tons due to poor seed and fertilizer quality.
After receiving support under the SWAY-AGFin Project, I accessed improved inputs and better agronomic practices, which increased my yield to 8.0 tons from the same farm size. This improvement enabled my family to afford better nutrition, pay school fees, and I also started a small provision business.”
Beauty Samaila – Kauru LGA, Kaduna State (SWAY-AGFin Project)
“Before the SWAY-AGFin Project, I faced challenges of poor inputs, insecurity, and low productivity. My production increased from 20 bags on 0.5 hectares in 2021 to 245 bags on 5 hectares in 2023.
This growth enabled me to acquire productive assets including a motorcycle, taxi vehicle, bus, milling machine, threshing machine, and livestock. I have also remodeled my house and started building a new one, while fully supporting my children’s education.”
Leadership Driving Change
PVNL is led by Ezekiel Jatau, a highly experienced agronomist with over 27 years of expertise in agribusiness and agricultural value chain development.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree, MBA, and MSc in Agronomy from Ahmadu Bello University. Presently, he is a PhD student at the Center For Dry Land Agriculture Bayero University, Kano, Dept. Of Agribusiness focusing the field of Bioresource Economics. He has presented agricultural development seminars both internationally and locally. He is also an alumnus of the Mashav Agricultural Training Institute in Isreal. His previous professional engagements include serving as National Value Chain Adviser on Ginger under the Nigeria Competitiveness Project (NICOP) and working as a Credit Officer in the Development Finance Department of First Bank of Nigeria. He has a very good knowledge of financing agriculture at grass root level.
Under his leadership, PVNL continues to expand its impact through strategic partnerships with organizations including AGRA, WOFAN, OCP Africa, IDH, United Bank for Africa, Sterling Bank, and EU-VACE.
For more information, visit www.palmvalleyng.com or follow @palmvalleyng on social media or PVNL is headquartered at No. 2 Emmanuel Blessed Street, GRA Kamazou, Kaduna, Nigeria.
Contact: admin@palmvalleyng.com | +234 8021020321 | Palm Valley Nigeria Limited
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