Nigeria: Seeds of Peace- Women Farmers Leading the Way

In northern Nigeria, where communities continue to grapple with insecurity and conflict, women are stepping forward as leaders in resilience and interfaith collaboration—using farming as a bridge for peace.

For 2025, World Faith Nigeria has selected 25 women—both younger and older, Christian and Muslim—to participate in its entrepreneurial farming engagement. Depending on available funding, 15–20 of these women will join this year’s program. Building on three years of steady progress, the initiative has already empowered 94 women farmers, strengthening their livelihoods while fostering dialogue and understanding across faith lines.

Alongside these successes, participants have faced enormous challenges. Armed bandits have seized farmland in nearby communities, forcing many to abandon their fields. Years of unreliable rainfall—sometimes absent for five years at a time—have devastated harvests. And without farmland of their own, women remain dependent on expensive leases. Despite these obstacles, their determination remains strong. Many continue farming in the face of trauma and illness, proving the depth of their commitment to both their families and their communities.

Even in this difficult context, the program has gained momentum. Through the WOSACCOFEM project, World Faith Nigeria has engaged new partners and stakeholders, while women participants have demonstrated their resilience and willingness to learn and adapt. The initiative has not only improved food security but has also created space for interfaith dialogue and collective problem-solving.

This effort is a reminder that farming can be more than a livelihood—it can be a pathway to peace. By uniting women across divides, the program nurtures both the soil and the social fabric, cultivating trust alongside crops. With sustained support, these women are poised to grow more than harvests: they are growing resilience, dialogue, and peace.