In a world where women make up 43 percent of the global agricultural labor force yet face significant discrimination when it comes to land and livestock ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making entities, and access to credit and financial services,
There are still passionate, visionary, and determined women who are not giving up on societal pressure and are breaking barriers to succeed in their chosen occupation. One of such personalities is Ngozi Ezeh, a vegetable farmer based in south-eastern Nigeria whose agribusiness has been nothing short of successful.
In 2021, Ngozi commenced her journey in agriculture, which was driven by the sudden death of her husband and the desire to educate her children. recognizing the potential and the high demands for vegetables, especially bell peppers, in southern Nigeria. She identified the unique opportunity to venture into bell pepper farming, bridging the gap in transporting the produce from the North.
Land being her major challenge, she kicked off with the garden in her compound with a series of trail errors. She established a relationship with wholesalers and retailers of vegetables in major markets across the east, selling off her produce at a fair price and earning her trust among traders in the region.
While her business flourishes in the east, she aspires to grow and expand on a larger scale to enable her to have enough to sell to other regions, seeking potential buyers and investors to tap into agribusiness and embrace farming as an occupation.
She is also putting so much effort into developing a network of female farmers in southern Nigeria, encouraging prospective female farmers not to relent in their work in agricultural production. She has empowered and contributed to her community by creating employment for young people in her area.
Furthermore, her achievements in farming have earned her recognition in her community and positioned her as the major supplier of bell pepper in eastern Nigeria, reducing her sole dependence on this produce from the north. Serving as an encouragement and inspiration to other smallholder farmers in the country.