Nigerian Women: Working Together to Succeed

Halima collects the peanuts and Larai prepares the machine that will extract the oil, while Binta develops a plan for marketing the final product. These activities are a regular part of daily life for members of Godiya Women, a peanut oil cooperative formed recently by graduates of Women for Women International’s program in Nigeria. Godiya, which means “appreciation” in Hausa, one of Nigeria’s local languages, is a group of 50 women who have pooled their skills and resources to produce and market peanut oil. Nigeria is one of the world’s top producers of peanuts, known locally as groundnuts, which form an important part of the economy.

Many of the women in Women for Women International – Nigeria’s program live in isolated rural communities whose economies are based upon a limited number of agricultural products. Forming a cooperative, in this context, helps prevent too many women from starting the same type of business. It also builds a strong network of community support for cooperative members and helps them to stretch their personal resources further. Habiba Nakande, a member of Godiya Women, said: “The formation of cooperatives to us is a good long-term investment, which is going to help us.” While cooperatives are not the sole source of income for most of their members, they provide women with a practical way to supplement their income.

In the third month of the sponsorship program, Women for Women International – Nigeria, introduces program participants to the nuts and bolts of cooperatives. They help women to identify potentially profitable business areas, navigate the legal process to officially register as a cooperative business, open a bank account and locate trainers to help them develop the technical and business skills they will need. Once the cooperatives are formed, they continue to receive advice and support from the organization.

Godiya Women is working hard to create a foothold in their community. Its members have recently acquired a store and paid rent for one year. While the group initially did not have enough funds to purchase the costly processing machine to extract oil from the nuts, new members joined and their funds enabled the group to buy the machine. They have now installed electricity and started processing their first batch of peanuts. They hold weekly meetings to discuss business activities and collect a contribution from each member to cover operating expenses.

Other cooperatives are also getting off the ground in Nigeria, including a group that makes batik products, one that leases a well and sells water and another that produces soap. Women in the program are pleased with the opportunity that being in a cooperative provides them. In the words of Hauwa Aminu, another member of Godiya Women: “Being in the cooperative makes me feel very secure and successful in business and in life.”