The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), in partnership with the Nigerian Women for Agricultural Progressive and Development Initiative (NWAPDI), has launched the Sovereign AgroTrade System (SAS) to connect Nigerian farmers directly to buyers, financial services, and global markets.
Unveiled at the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Auditorium in Abuja, the platform is expected to tackle long-standing challenges faced by smallholder farmers, especially rural women and youth, while reducing reliance on exploitative middlemen.
Representing the Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Senior Assistant on Strategy and Planning Mohammed Sani said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the agricultural sector.
“Through NWAPDI Grow, farmers can access micro loans, cooperative financing, savings platforms, and mobile payments directly from their phones. This is financial inclusion redefined, bringing online banking to people in rural areas,” Abdullahi said.
The SAS platform, a digital marketplace, integrates four core tools: AgriXchange Marketplace (for direct trade and auctions), NWAPDI Grow (for financial services), AgriCert (for certification and traceability), and FarmAssure (for data-driven farm management).
NWAPDI National Coordinator Omolara Svensson described the launch as a personal milestone, noting that the system was born from her own struggles as a farmer.
“SAS is not just technology; it is a promise, a promise that farmers will no longer be at the mercy of middlemen, volatile markets, and unreliable payment systems,” she said.
She added that the platform would help farmers move “from subsistence to prosperity” and create wealth across rural communities.
The event drew government officials, private sector partners, community leaders, and international collaborators, including Norcom LLC, BIPOWER, Terra FinTech, the Bank of Agriculture, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Norcom LLC President, Omowale Dion Croom, highlighted that the system is designed to empower women and youth, promote sustainable farming, and build trust in agricultural trade through technology.
The launch was marked by a symbolic unveiling led by representatives of the Federal Ministry, NWAPDI leadership, and other stakeholders, underscoring Nigeria’s push to modernize agriculture and strengthen food security through digital innovation.
