Abuja: As the morning rush eased in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, Mrs. Aishat Adeleye had already completed one important task; dropping her children off at school. However, her next stop was a small carved-out space in her compound, where heaps of neatly arranged sacks brimmed with vegetables, crops, and tubers.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, what began as a modest sack farming venture has become a reliable source of food for Mrs. Adeleye’s family, helping her cut down significantly on household food expenses amid rising prices. Mrs. Adeleye, a full-time housewife who runs a petty provision shop in front of her house, said sack farming had not only enabled her to grow food but also helped her build resilience in challenging economic times. She adopted the practice in 2024 after getting pregnant and being unable to continue going to her farm in Oke-Oyi, a village in the Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, about 27 kilometers from Ilorin. The decision was also influenced by the stress of traveling the distance and, most importantly, insecurity in the area.
Beyond Adeleye’s experience, women play vital roles at every stage of agrifood systems, yet they continue to face greater barriers in accessing land and other productive resources, which remain limited in many states. Similarly, 42-year-old Hauwa Akodudu, a resident of the Sango area in Ilorin, started sack farming as far back as 2012 due to lack of space to farm in her area, while insecurity prevented her from traveling far from home. Akodudu said what started as a means of sustaining her family had gradually become a source of income, as she sells excess vegetables harvested from her sacks.
Meanwhile, women farmers in Kwara continue to identify land access as a major constraint. A study involving 1,801 women farmers across urban areas of Kwara State identified restricted access to land, lack of credit facilities, and limited access to farm inputs as major barriers affecting productivity. On her part, 36-year-old Bashirah Adisa, a resident of Offa Garage, started sack farming in 2025. Although she had previously practiced conventional farming, accessing fertile land within a residential environment became increasingly difficult, while growing insecurity in the area also influenced her decision to switch to sack farming.
Research on farming communities affected by insecurity found that insecurity significantly reduces crop production. A one percent increase in insecurity was associated with declines in agricultural output as many farmers avoid distant farms because of fear of attacks or conflict. Additionally, flooding and conflict have contributed to food insecurity across Nigeria, with millions affected and extensive cropland losses recorded.
Mrs. Adisa said getting fertile land wasn’t the only problem but securing herself and her farm produce became a herculean task. ‘Sack farming gives me the opportunity to be able to farm within my reach, even on a concrete floor. I can always check on what I planted before going to work in the morning, as well as when I return in the evening. Once my crops and vegetables germinate, I won’t be buying any of them in the markets anymore.’
The cases of Mrs. Adeleye, Mrs. Akodudu, and Mrs. Adisa are not isolated cases of the plight of farmers in Kwara State because apart from lack of access to lands as women, insecurity has escalated significantly in the state from the late 2025 till date. Residents have been forced to seek refuge outside their homes, while farmers were forced to abandon their farmlands for their safety due to the fear of bandits.
By filling used sacks with soil, they have been able to cultivate crops within the comfort of their homes. For Bunmi Adebayo, easy access to vegetables and food staples has become one of the major benefits of sack farming, a practice he has embraced for the past four years. Adebayo, who started sack farming to grow healthy vegetables without hindrance, said the practice has enabled him to produce enough food to support his household.
Meanwhile, the experience is different for sexagenarian Alhaji Tajudeen Yunus, a retired civil servant in Egbejila, whose decision to adopt sack farming was influenced by changing climate conditions and rainfall patterns. Research from Southwestern Nigeria found that about 67 percent of farmers observed changes in climate patterns. For someone that has always practiced traditional farming, unpredictable weather conditions that destroyed yam when rain ceased in 2024 made Alhaji Yunus start sack farming solely to plant yams.
However, as sack farming seems as an answered prayer for smallholder farmers, it comes with its daunting challenges. To Alhaji Yunus, his major challenge was wetting the sacks, which was cumbersome but overcame with the use of a hose to run tap water into the sacks. He also cited another challenge of securing sacks which has become scarce compared to when he started sack farming.
Climate adaptation, as it were, depends on access to information. Research among Nigerian farmers found that many farmers have contact with extension agents. Yet only about 42.3 percent reported receiving climate-change information. The Managing Director of Enterprise Grooming Institute (EGI), Mr. Tajudeen Ajisefini, said sack farming was an adaptive agricultural practice that also provided an opportunity to turn waste into wealth.
Dr. Tunde Arosanyin, National Coordinator of the Zero Hunger Nigeria Project, also highlighted the importance of proper techniques and precautions in achieving good results from sack farming. Describing sack farming as an innovation and a localized form of greenhouse farming, the international agriculture consultant said the practice had evolved from a hobby for some people into a means of feeding households and generating income. He added that it had become useful for rural women in Kwara and beyond.
Meanwhile, Mr. Omotola Ashaolu, Press Secretary, Kwara Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the state government had continued to encourage backyard farming, which could also include sack farming. Ashaolu said the initiative provided residents with the opportunity to grow crops such as vegetables, pepper, tomatoes, maize, yam, and cassava for household consumption.