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As rising food prices continue to squeeze household budgets, the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) has equipped 125 Nigerians with practical skills in backyard farming to enable them to grow some of their food at home.
The initiative, implemented under CADEF’s Green Living Initiative (GLI), introduced participants to small-space food production using readily available and reusable materials, including sacks, containers, empty cooking oil kegs and discarded paint buckets.
The project was supported by the Green Action Fund, funded by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), and coordinated and administered by Consumers International. It was implemented under the 2026 Green Action Week theme, “Sharing Community.”
The intervention comes amid persistent concerns over food affordability in Nigeria. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation stood at 19.59 per cent year-on-year in September 2026, reflecting the continued pressure of food prices on households.
With many families struggling to meet their food needs, the initiative sought to demonstrate how households, including those without access to farmland, could supplement their food supplies through simple gardening techniques.
Under a train-the-trainer approach, CADEF initially trained 25 participants, who were subsequently encouraged and supported to transfer the knowledge to at least three other people in their communities.
The knowledge-sharing model expanded the initiative’s reach to 125 people, with some participants extending the training to even more members of their communities.
At the project’s closing ceremony in Lagos, participants and Green Living Ambassadors showcased their produce and demonstrated various methods of cultivating food crops in limited spaces.
The techniques included sack and container gardening, window boxes and the use of underutilised household spaces. Crops cultivated during the programme included okra, cucumber, sweet potato, tomato and groundnut.
Speaking at the ceremony, CADEF’s Executive Director, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, said the initiative was designed to provide households with practical knowledge they could apply using available spaces and resources.
She acknowledged that backyard farming alone could not address the challenge of food inflation but noted that it could provide families with an additional source of food and help ease household expenses.
“Food prices affect what families can afford to put on their tables. We recognise that small-space gardening cannot, on its own, solve the problem of food inflation, but it can give households another option.
“If someone can use a sack, an old bucket or a small space at home to grow vegetables, that is valuable knowledge. The next step is to put that knowledge to use and share it with others,” she said.
Ndukwe-Okafor said the train-the-trainer model was central to the project’s impact, as it enabled the initial beneficiaries to extend the benefits of the training to other people in their communities.
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She encouraged participants to sustain their gardening activities beyond the programme, citing the experience of a young man who had turned sack farming into a source of food and income for his family.
“I know a young man who reached out to tell me that he no longer buys yam because he grows his own in about 100 sacks in his compound. He also sells some of his harvest and uses the proceeds to pay his children’s school fees.
“His experience demonstrates what is possible when people apply the knowledge they have acquired. I encourage all our participants not to stop because this programme has ended. Keep growing, keep learning and, importantly, share what you have learnt with others,” she said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Agriculture at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Olufunke Obafemi, commended CADEF for its consumer education and advocacy efforts.
She emphasised the importance of sustainable agricultural practices, reducing food loss and waste, and promoting responsible consumption in strengthening food systems and protecting livelihoods.
“We recognise the importance of promoting sustainable agricultural practices, reducing food loss and waste, and encouraging responsible consumption. These efforts are important to strengthening our food systems and protecting livelihoods. We also commend CADEF for its commitment to consumer education and empowerment, particularly its efforts to encourage informed choices and responsible use of resources,” she said.
Obafemi reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting initiatives that connect environmental sustainability with agricultural development, food security and public well-being.
A participant, Chibueze Nwachukwu, said the training had changed his perception of food production and given him the confidence to cultivate crops at home.
“This initiative has made me realise that I can grow some of my basic food right in my backyard, in my own comfort space. Three months ago, I wasn’t confident or knowledgeable about growing my own food.
“With the support from CADEF and the facilitators, I have now been able to grow groundnuts, and I plan to try other crops soon,” he said.
Beyond the immediate skills acquired, the initiative was designed to promote community learning and encourage households to make productive use of available resources.
Although the formal programme has ended, CADEF said it expects participants to continue growing food, sharing their knowledge and encouraging others to adopt sustainable gardening practices.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to consumer education, practical empowerment and advocacy for sustainable choices that support household well-being and resilient communities.
