Contact
+2348186620598, +2348093861739
Email:
salamatugarba@wofan.org
Biography
Hajia Salamatu Garba
Founder/ Executive Director-Women Farmers Advancement Network- WOFAN
Hajia Salamatu Garba is a Nigerian and has a B.sc in Botany and M.sc in Plant Pathology from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. She received her Gender Trainers and Development Post Graduate Certificate from the Centre for International Development and Training, University of Wolverhampton, in the UK. She has bagged a Doctorate Degree from the Institute of Excellence in Dubai, as well as PhD in Sociology of Peace under the United Nations UN-polac, which has led to her enormous performance and leadership in Community Development Initiatives across the African region. Hajia Salamatu is the founder of the Women Farmers Advancement Network- WOFAN formed in 1993 while she was still a lecturer at two Nigerian Universities, ABU Zaria and Bayero University, Kano.
WOFAN was formed as a response to the plight of the rural women in Northern Nigeria, as people who are voiceless, poor, and dependent on poor resources using local/ indigenous technology. The low literacy level and lack of awareness on many socio- economic issues of the rural women was also the bedrock for the establishment of WOFAN and interest in rural development!
Hajia Salamatu Garba has served in various capacities including:
ICON-2 of Hope Project Sept. 2022 – Present
ICON-1 of Hope Project Oct 2020-2022
Country Advisor and gender specialist on ICON of Hope project a post covid-19 interventions in partnership with MasterCard Foundation to support 30,000 farmers especially women and youths to enhance livelihood through agribusinesses, job opportunities and social inclusion in 4 states of Nigeria.
GIZ, CARI/WOFAN- We Grow Rice project: 2018-2020
Gender Advisor and Lead Consultant to the GIZ- CARI funded Rice enterprise project (competitive African Rice Initiative), targeting 12000 small holders in pursuant of competitively and sustainably growing rice across the entire value chain and making it a demand driven venture.
Lead Consultant- 2017-2021
UNDP-GEF Food security project in Nigeria 2017– 2021 targeting 42,000 farmers in 7 states of Nigeria with the aim of promoting adaptation to climate change and promoting sustainable integrated and climate -smart agriculture.
USADF- DDI -2017-2021
Supported Rice Enhancement Business Venture- 2017-2021 for 2400 women-led Agribusiness rice parboilers and millers to enhance production and wide outreach of Tauraruwa Rice across Nigeria.
USAID-Nigeria water project -2009-2014
Served as Lead Consultant for the USAID-Nigeria- Water project, between 2009 – 2012, targeting Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi states to improve access to safe drinking water and enhance food security reaching out to over 15,000,000 beneficiaries for multi- uses of water including integrated farming through rain fed and irrigation agriculture to enhance food security and access to safe drinking water-2009 to 2014
Awards and Recognition
Salamatu has received several awards within Nigeria and across the globe including in November 2006- was honored for the first distinguished award in grassroots mobilization in UK by the Commonwealth Business Council in partnership with NEPAD and Women in Agriculture and Environment Network.
June 2022: appointment as the Polac Foundation state coordinator heading Kano and Jigawa state by the Polac Foundation (office of the director General) June 2022.
May 2022: Awarded by Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) In recognition of her outstanding performance as development Advocate whose contribution has positively impacted on Humanity & Society in general and currently serving as a member of Board of Trustees with Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) May 2022.
February 2022: “Outstanding NGO Award” for Contributing towards the development of Center for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) by Bayero University Kano State.
November 2021: Board of Trustee Farm Radio International – Canada to head the policy and programmatic performance of Farm Radio in Nigeria, in line with the Global network of Farm Radio International.
September 2021: Lifetime Achievement Award- UN-POLAC and UNESCO-Nigeria as the “Ambassador of Peace Award” for sustainable improvement in the qualities of lives of over 45,000 groups of 30members each from inception of WOFAN in 1993 to date and still up scaling Issued by United Nations- POLAC and UNESCO-Nigeria · Sept 2021
September 2021: Value4Her Award winner of AGRA-USAID-AFRICA2021 Agripreneurs of the Year Award (WAYA 2021) Issued by African Green Revolution-AGRF and AGRA held in KENYA. Competed for by over 2,500 applicants from 21 African countries.
Recognized for leading over 5,000 fully registered women and youth- led agribusinesses along various crop value sectors in Nigeria where 80 percent of beneficiaries are women of low income background and female headed households.
2019- 2021 Board member: Center for Dry Land Agriculture- CDA
August 2021:“Goodwill Ambassador” for valuable commitments in Promoting Peace, Security, Education, Women Development, Religious Harmony & Service to Humanity by Arewa Peace Ambassadors Forum (APAF).
February 2021: “Patron of West African Youth ”for having passion for youth Empowerment & contribution to West Sub-region by ECOWAS Youth Parliament.
February 2021: “Meritorious Service Award” appreciation for contributing towards Women Empowerment, Social Development and Building community Resilience for over two decades in Kano state by Kano State Government.
February 2021: “ICON of Humanitarian Service” for contributing towards National Development, Educational Upliftment, Youth Empowerment & Service to Humanity by National Association of Northern Nigerian Students (NANNS)
April 2019: “ICON of Social Development“ in recognitions of society uprightness, Diligent, Disposition of duties with Absolute fair and accountability By West African student Union (WASU)
October 2018: “Heroes Award” by Agriculture and Community Development Kano State
April 2017: Ashoka Fellow- Nigeria- became an Ashoka global fellow in 2017 and Steering committee member of the Women for water International- The Netherlands as an outstanding social entrepreneur with scalable and replicable social and financial inclusion project targeting mostly women and girls in hard-to-reach environment and
circumstances
March 2014“Rare GEM AWARD on MDGs” by the United Nations Information services (UNICS) and WODEF (Women’s Optimum Development Foundation) in Lagos-Nigeria. for achieving a significant target in providing access to safe drinking water across board in Nigeria especially school and out of school children.
June 2014-2015: year award of leading the most Agric friendly NGO in Nigeria and reaching out and supporting over 5 million rural women and youths in 7 Northern states of Nigeria.
June 2013:“Valued and Inspirational leadership” award, by the Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI) in partnership with a USAID funded project in Nigeria.
November 2012: Honored for Empowerment of Women in Infrastructure in Primary schools in Northern Nigeria by National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Baguda Lake, Kano state.
November 2012 – Dubai: Honored for lifetime achievement & Inspirational leadership award by Middle East Institute of Excellence- Dubai.
March 2010: She bagged Honorary Doctorate Award for Gender & Sustainable Development during the 12th Global Business Women & Leaders Summit as the Life Achievement- Burj Al-Arab Dubai UAE.