Nigeria’s food supply may depend more on farmers in the Northeast than the numbers show, and certainly more than they’re often credited for. Without their work, markets could slow, prices might climb, and food scarcity would hit harder. Most don’t have tractors or industrial mills. They farm by hand, season after season, generation after generation - quietly powering a food chain that helps feed the rest of the country.

Across Nigeria’s Northeast, farming is both widespread and specialised. Adamawa is known for its production of cassava, yam, rice, and cattle. Bauchi produces maize, tomatoes and groundnuts. Gombe leans into maize, sorghum and ginger. Taraba produces a wide range of crops, from yams to tomatoes, and is a major cattle hub. Yobe stands out for its production of millet, sorghum, and cotton. In Borno, rice farming, alongside millet, pepper, and cowpea, is a dominant activity in areas such as Jere and Zabarmari.

That is where our trip began. Zabarmari. Gamboru. Maiduguri. Places that feel very far until you realise how much of your daily meals depend on them.

For many of the people we met, business is a matter of memory. One farmer told us he’d been working the land since his father was alive. Now he’s teaching his children to do the same. A pepper seller spoke about how buyers no longer always bring cash. Sometimes they just drop a phone number and follow up with a transfer. Another trader pulled out his Moniepoint card and told us, “This card goes further than banks.”

All of them knew Moniepoint by name, and each one used the tools that fit their trade: transfers, POS terminals, cards. They had found a rhythm through alerts that informed them a payment had been received, and it was time to dispatch the next truck. 

We spent days listening, watching and taking it all in. These farmers are not only feeding their region but powering entire supply chains across Nigeria. The food chain is informal. Fast. Hyperlocal. And if money doesn’t move fast, food doesn’t either.

This case study is the result of that trip. It is a documentation of real work, done by real people, and how Moniepoint helps make it all possible. 

Visit casestudies.moniepoint.com to read the whole story.