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By Chinenye Anuforo
Residents of Abule-Ori, Mowe, Ogun State, are celebrating a new wave of self-reliance after completing the Greenshare: Sharing Through Community Farming Project, an initiative of the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF).
Launched in July 2025 with funding from Consumers International, the project brought together 29 families to cultivate maize, beans, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and cassava on land provided by the community. The goal was simple but ambitious, tackle food inflation and insecurity through eco-farming and consumer education.
“With food inflation at nearly 40 percent, Greenshare was created to show communities how to grow food organically and reduce dependence on the market,” explained Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF and convener of the initiative. “We trained participants in composting, natural fertilizer production, and pest control using neem leaves. Our expectation is that these practices will continue in homes long after this project.”
The results have been encouraging. For Innocent Emereonye, a group leader, the project was more than farming lessons:
“This has been an eye-opener. We were taught methods that made our crops thrive. Seeing the results today is amazing.”
Another participant, Adeleye Adeniyi, said the knowledge gained would have lifelong value:
“We learned how to turn food waste into fertilizer, something I never knew was possible. This training will stay with us forever.”
For Florence Mustapha, the project was a personal breakthrough:
“Before now, I had no idea how to plant cucumbers. Today, I can plant, harvest, and even sell them. This is a skill that will continue to serve me.”
Project facilitator, Kasali Semin, emphasized that eco-farming offers a sustainable alternative to costly chemical inputs: “We showed them how to replace NPK fertilizer with compost and use neem leaves instead of pesticides. The community embraced it and many have already started practicing at home.”
Local leaders also recognized the project’s impact. Adejumo Ismaila, Chairman of Koli Area CDC, said the training has cut his household food bills: “I planted cucumbers near my house, and in a short time I was harvesting. It has saved my family money.”
CADEF confirmed that multiple harvests have already been recorded, and participants have been given both seeds and the skills needed to sustain their farming beyond the project.
“Our message to Nigerians is clear,” Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor said in closing. “Even in times of high inflation, you can grow food at home, whether on your balcony, in containers, or by the roadside, using organic methods. An informed consumer is an empowered consumer, and Greenshare has proven just that.”
