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Rahmah Aderinoye, the CEO of Rashak Farms, is transforming Nigeria's agricultural sector by empowering over 12,000 farmers and contributing to the nation's food security.
Aderinoye's journey from a concerned observer of Nigeria's farming struggles to a leader in agro-allied business reflects her deep commitment to social impact and sustainable farming.
Driven by her concern about hunger and poverty arising from food insecurity and the underdevelopment of the rural economy, Aderinoye co-founded Rashak Farms to create an equitable system for smallholder farmers.
Aderinoye’s involvement with the Resolution Project Fellowship in 2013 profoundly shaped and strengthened her commitment to addressing these issues especially in rural communities.
“My project was selected as the best among all participating countries. This recognition validated my concerns and inspired me to take action. This recognition validated my concerns and inspired me to take action. The Resolution Project instilled in me the importance of visionary leadership and the power of collective action,” she said in an interview with Business Insider.
This effort aimed at improving the capability of smallholder farmers to significantly cultivate vast arable land, feed the country and earn a decent living to improve their quality of life and standard of living has seen Aderinoye roll out many initiatives to empower farmers who are largely disadvantaged and multidimensionally poor.
Through these initiatives, the agro-preneur aimed to bridge the inequality gap among smallholder farmers and their inability to access input credit, storage facilities, and market opportunities.
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In its bid to bridge the inequality gap among farmers, and their inability to access input credit, storage facilities, and market opportunities, Rashak Farms launched an ethical financing, rooted in Islamic loan principles that ensure zero interest for farmers.
“Our Islamic loan principles at Rashak Farms are more than just a financial tool; they reflect our commitment to ethical and sustainable practices,” she said.
This initiative is not just a support system for farmers, it also provides them with an enabling environment to thrive with adequate resources and opportunities.
“We are giving them hope, by helping them to function effectively to live their best life to produce the required staples to feed Nigeria whilst meeting their basic and social needs,” she said.
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However, despite challenges like changing government policies and climate change, Aderinoye remains determined to scale Rashak Farms.
Aderinoye plans to increase the farmer base to 50,000 within the next year, so she calls for collaboration and investment.
"Our scalable business model and proven track record make us an attractive investment opportunity," Aderinoye affirmed, confident in Rashak Farms' potential to expand its impact beyond Nigeria.