From his oil palm farm, entrepreneur Michael Udofia leads an agricultural transformation in his Akwa Ibom community.
For two decades, Michael Udofia built a thriving career in Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector. With eight gas stations under his management, the 59-year-old businessman saw strategic growth in his business. However, even with the profitability of the oil business, Michael had a lingering ambition to do more for his community in the Akwa Ibom state.
Ten years into his oil and gas business, Michael began exploring ways to diversify his portfolio. His interest turned to agriculture, particularly oil palm farming, a crop deeply rooted in Nigeria’s landscape, yet often underutilized due to outdated farming practices.
“I saw how much potential our land had. We have the right soil, but we were not doing enough with it. I wanted to help farmers around me get more out of what they already had.”
His goal was to create a demonstration farm that would serve as a learning ground for smallholder farmers to learn modern oil palm farming techniques. But translating that vision into reality was not easy.
For 15 years, he struggled to realize this dream due to the lack of quality seedlings and knowledge about best practices that would optimize yields and benefit his community.
“I kept searching for high-yielding hybrid seeds, but didn’t know where to source them from. The most commonly planted variety among farmers was the wild grove, which unfortunately yields low quantities of fruits,” says Michael. “Additionally, managing a nursery and post-nursery operations was a significant challenge for me.”
His turning point came with the arrival of the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS) in Nigeria. The initiative established oil palm nurseries in 60 communities across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, and Kogi, including Michael’s community, Ikot Antia Obio Uyai, to provide quality hybrid seedlings to farmers.
To ensure the effective operation and management of these nurseries, community facilitators trained by Solidaridad were equipped to transfer knowledge to smallholder oil palm farmers in their communities.
For farmers with established oil palm farms, the community facilitators offered guidance on best management practices and climate-smart agriculture.
Through the efforts of the community facilitators, Michael gained access to high-quality oil palm seedlings and received practical training on how to manage his farm sustainably. Over the past four years, he has planted 33 hectares of high-quality oil palm seedlings in his community, a significant step up from the wild groves that once dotted the area.
“Unlike wild groves, which take more than five years to bear fruit, these hybrids started yielding within three years of planting,” Michael explains.
Today, Michael harvests fresh fruit bunches from his farm every two weeks. His consistent yields have sparked interest among other farmers, who now see firsthand the benefits of adopting improved agricultural practices and using the right planting material. His farm has become a peer-learning hub where others come to learn, just as he had once hoped.
Kenechukwu Onukwube, programme manager of oil palm at Solidaridad in Nigeria, says Michael’s journey demonstrates what is achievable with the right support.
“By combining access to quality inputs with hands-on training and community-led knowledge sharing, we are equipping farmers with the tools they need to build climate-resilient and commercially viable farms.”