When Rahmah Aderinoye co‑founded Rashak Farms & Agro Allied Limited in 2016, it began with a bold ambition—to transform Nigerian agriculture by empowering smallholder farmers with dignity, access, and purpose.
Today, as CEO, she leads a social-enterprise model that is elevating food security, gender inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods across the country.
From her early work as a Resolution Project Fellow in 2013, Rahmah saw the persistent gaps faced by female, youth, and disabled farmers across Nigeria.
Determined to address them, she designed Project Iranwo (meaning “help” in Yoruba), Rashak’s outgrower scheme. It provides interest-free inputs like seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides, alongside technical training, storage, and guaranteed market access—catalysing productivity and resilience.
By May 2024, Rashak had empowered over 9,500 farmers across multiple states and was on track to reach 12,000+ farmers, with plans to scale to 50,000 within the next year.
Rahmah’s model—rooted in ethical Islamic financing—ensures zero-interest loans, making agriculture inclusive and debt-free.
Rashak Farms operates in at least seven Nigerian states—including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Oyo, Taraba, and Zamfara—supporting crops like maize, paddy rice, soybeans, cashews, and palm kernel oil.
Their impact is measurable: smallholder income has increased by over 25%, with women and persons with disabilities forming around 80% of beneficiaries in key programs.
Well-being is also embedded in Rashak’s mission.
In early 2024, the company launched a medical outreach covering over 442 farmers in Kaduna and Katsina—addressing hypertension, malaria, and diabetes through free health checkups and health education seminars. That followed a pilot program for women-only outgrowers in Jigawa State, a pioneering move in Nigeria’s agro sector.
The blend of agrarian support and health services underscores the company’s commitment to aligning with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Gender Equity, Decent Work, and Good Health & Well‑Being.
Rahmah’s leadership is characterized by resilience and collaboration. Rashak Farms became the first agribusiness in Africa to secure Sharia-compliant investment in December 2023, anchoring its ethical financing model.
Despite security challenges in rural Nigeria, Rahmah remains committed to expansion—seeking partnerships with ethical financiers and agricultural stakeholders to deepen reach and streamline value chains. “There is no competition in this space; collaboration is key,” she explains.
Rashak’s approach bridges entrepreneurship with empathy, creating a viable model for agribusiness that empowers people rather than profits.
By focusing on marginalised populations—women, youth, and people with disabilities—Rahmah demonstrates that African agriculture can be both inclusive and commercially sustainable. Her leadership is proof that social impact and scalability are not mutually exclusive.
Under Rahmah Aderinoye’s guidance, Rashak Farms is doing more than growing crops—it’s cultivating resiliency, dignity, and opportunity.
Through training, fair financing, and care for health, it’s reshaping what food systems can look like across Nigeria.
And in telling her story, we don’t just celebrate an entrepreneur—we spotlight a movement building equitable, innovative agriculture across the continent.
Image credit: BellaNaija
