Kano women farmers receive electric Agro-Cargo vehicles

The Mata Zalla Entrepreneurs Cooperative in Kano State, has launched the Mata Zalla Smart Agro Cargo initiative, introducing 20 electric agro-cargo vehicles to women farmers.
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The project, backed by the UK-funded Propcom+ programme, aims to build a green rural economy by improving logistics, accelerating clean transport commercialization, and reducing post-harvest losses in women-led agribusinesses. The official launch in Karfi, Kura Local Government Area, was a step toward inclusive economic growth and climate resilience in Northern Nigeria.
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The deployment of the electric vehicles (EVs) is a continuation of support from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), designed to address chronic logistical challenges faced by smallholder farmers, particularly women, in rural areas.
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The initiative involves more than just the vehicles. It includes a 55-kilowatt solar charging station and a logistics hub, creating a self-sustaining clean energy ecosystem. The new assets feature a variety of EVs, including four-wheeled agro-cargo vehicles, refrigerated carriers, open cargo tricycles, and electric bikes. This follows an earlier UK-funded intervention under the LINKS programme that supported the cooperative to pioneer 100 electric tricycles in partnership with The Alternative Bank.
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‎Dr. Adiya Ode, Propcom+ Country Representative, described the intervention as an electric momentum for women-led economic transformation.
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While the leader of the Mata Zalla cooperative, Hajiya Hauwa Ahmed, confirmed that the project is expected to create new business opportunities for rural women as transport service providers and food chain distributors, fostering green job creation.
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The Kano State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru Hashim, praised the initiative as a milestone for both economic empowerment and sustainability, assuring that the state government would explore ways to replicate the model across other local governments. Agricultural stakeholders view the project as a viable business model to bridge the gap between agriculture, technology, and climate-smart innovation in Northern Nigeria.
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