By Isaac Atunlute
In a quiet but powerful movement across Lagos, hundreds of schoolgirls are learning that soil can be a path to self-sufficiency and that agriculture is not just for males or for rural settlements.
In eight schools spread across the city, over 420 girls have been skilled in practical agriculture, aquaculture, and environmental sustainability.
The project, launched by a women-led nonprofit, is helping students—many from underresourced schools—gain essential life and livelihood skills not typically offered in the formal curriculum.
These girls receive hands-on training in crop cultivation, poultry farming and circular environmental practices.
In one activity, they are taught how to convert poultry waste into organic manure and recycle fish pond water to irrigate plants, introducing them to the concept that waste can be a resource and that sustainability often starts with small, consistent habits.
To ensure that the knowledge gained don’t stop at just theory, key participants received starter kits that included catfish, broiler feed, organic pesticides, and watering pots, enabling them to launch small-scale projects at home or in school gardens.
In a country where youth unemployment remains sky-high and vocational education is limited, such grassroots efforts are redefining what empowerment looks like, especially for young girls.
Rather than wait for top-down reforms, communities are building the future.
The approach isn’t unique to Lagos. In Osun State, the Youths Enterprise Development and Innovation Society (YEDIS) organised a capacity-building workshop in the Obaagun community, training over 300 women and girls in palm oil and palm kernel processing.
These efforts are particularly significant given the national context. While agriculture employs a large percentage of Nigeria’s population, women and girls remain under-represented and lack access to resources and training.
Moreover, practical agricultural education is rarely taught in schools, especially in urban areas.
What these small, women-led initiatives show is that agriculture is more than a source of food—it’s a source of agency. When girls learn to grow, nurture and sell their own produce, they begin to see what else they’re capable of achieving.
Yet, despite their impact, many of these programmes operate with minimal funding, often relying on personal savings and volunteer support.
They continue without government backing or corporate sponsorship, propelled by a deep belief in grassroots change. Perhaps the most insightful lesson from these ventures is that transforming education doesn’t always require sweeping policy reforms.
Sometimes it just takes a shovel in the hands of a girl—and someone to show her how to plant a seed and dream differently.
As schools prepare to reopen in September, the training is set to continue. But, already, the girls—armed with knowledge, confidence, and a few hens or catfish—are beginning to shape a future they can truly call their own.
A movement in Lagos is empowering over 420 schoolgirls through practical agricultural education, teaching them farming, aquaculture, and sustainability. This initiative, launched by a women-led non-profit, is especially impactful for students from under-funded schools, offering hands-on training in crop cultivation, poultry farming, and environmental practices. Students learn to convert waste into resources, such as using poultry waste for organic manure and recycling fish pond water for irrigation.
The project provides essential starter kits, encouraging participants to implement small-scale farming at home or in school. This grassroots effort is critical in Nigeria, where youth unemployment is high, and vocational education is limited, making it especially significant for young girls. Similar initiatives are observed in Osun State where a workshop trained women in palm oil processing. These programs highlight that agriculture can provide agency, fostering entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency among females in a male-dominated sector.
Operating with minimal funding and without government or corporate backing, these efforts are driven by a belief in grassroots transformation. They demonstrate that significant educational impact is achievable with small, dedicated actions, as girls equipped with agricultural skills start to envision a self-sufficient future. As schools prepare to reopen, this training continues, enabling students to shape their futures with newfound knowledge and confidence.
