ALDDN Expanded Women’s Financial Access in Nigeria’s Dairy Economy
The Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) programme incorporated financial inclusion into the work of farmer organisations rather than treating it as a separate activity. Women used self-help groups to save, exchange information and seek loans, while the groups also became forums for decisions affecting households and collective enterprises.
By the programme’s close, 12,299 formal bank accounts had been opened, against a target of 15,750, or 78% of the goal. Self-help groups had accumulated approximately ₦75 million in savings. Formal credit links reached 1,706 women, compared with a target of 3,150, while 7,045 female farmers had used at least two services provided by their cooperatives, against a target of more than 13,000.
The programme reported that around 40% of its cooperatives were less than two years old when it ended. It also cited limited bank-branch coverage in much of northern Nigeria and the gradual expansion of microfinance institutions as constraints on formal borrowing. Requirements involving national identification, bank-verification numbers and digital literacy presented additional barriers for many women.
Access to financial services remained lower among women than men in the programme. Only 9% of women farmers had a mobile wallet or bank account, compared with 14% of men. In mixed-gender groups, women were more likely to hold secretarial positions, while chairperson roles involving contact with banks or processors were predominantly held by men.
Self-help groups operated savings in two forms in some communities: a loan fund for productive investment and a social-welfare fund for urgent needs such as illness, childbirth or weddings. A group leader in Rubwoi, Plateau State, said the second fund allowed members to support one another immediately, without the paperwork or delay associated with formal institutions. In Zaria, Kaduna State, a traditional ruler said women in his community had begun saving and borrowing independently, reducing their reliance on husbands to finance household needs.
The programme also recorded wider participation by women in meetings, savings administration and representation of members to processors and financial institutions. Its stated approach connected household-level savings with cooperative governance and commercial relationships. The programme was implemented by Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Limited with TechnoServe Nigeria and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
