Nigeria: Empowering Women In Bauchi Through Mechanized Rice Processing

(MENAFN- African Press Organization)

For years, rice farming was more than a livelihood for women in Dabarkda community in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State, it was a daily struggle marked by long journeys, exhausting labour, and modest returns. Despite working hard to cultivate rice, many women spent valuable hours traveling outside their community just to process their harvest, sacrificing time that could have been spent caring for their families, growing their businesses, or pursuing other income-generating activities.

Today, that story is changing. Thanks to a rice milling machine installed by UN Women, women farmers in the Kunsuman Dabarkda Bundot Group A Cooperative and Bamganfabam Dabarkda Bundot Group B Cooperative are experiencing a transformation that goes far beyond rice processing; it is changing livelihoods, strengthening community ties, and restoring dignity and confidence among rural women.

One of those women is Aisha Suleiman, a cooperative member whose daily routine has become significantly easier since the arrival of the machine.

Before the intervention, Aisha and other women had to travel to Dass town to mill their rice. The journey often involved a long walk to the main road followed by a motorcycle ride, adding transportation costs to already expensive processing fees. By the time they returned home, much of the day had been lost. Now, the milling machine is just a short distance away.

"I can even place my food on the fire and quickly take some grains for processing," Aisha says with a smile.“ We no longer spend hours traveling outside the community to process our rice. The time we save is now used for caring for our children, household chores, and running our businesses."

The impact is visible not only in how women spend their time, but also in the quality of the rice they produce and the income they earn. Previously, when cooperative members processed 10 mudus of paddy rice using conventional milling machines, they received barely four mudus of rice, often with stones and poor polishing. Today, UN Women's three-in-one machine mills, destones, and polishes the rice in one process, producing more than five mudus of clean, market-ready rice from the same quantity of paddy.

That improvement translates directly into higher earnings. Because the rice is cleaner and of superior quality, it commands a better price in the market. While conventionally processed rice sells for about ₦1,000 per mudu, the women can now sell their premium-quality rice for approximately ₦1,500 per mudu. Processing costs have also dropped significantly, allowing women to retain more of their profits.

For many households, those additional earnings are making a meaningful difference. Women who once struggled to meet basic family needs can now purchase school supplies, books, uniforms, and clothing for their children. They are contributing more to household expenses and building financial independence through stronger savings groups and cooperative activities.

Beyond the economic benefits, the milling centre has become a gathering point for women across the community. Weekly meetings, cooperative management, and shared responsibility for the machine have deepened relationships and fostered a stronger sense of solidarity. What started as a piece of equipment has evolved into a symbol of collective progress. The centre is also attracting visitors from neighboring communities such as Doka, Pegi, Mbula, Gunduli, and even Bauchi town. People travel to Dabarkda specifically because of the machine's unique destoning and polishing capabilities, services that are rarely available elsewhere in Dass Local Government Area. Community leaders have witnessed the transformation firsthand.

"We are truly grateful for the impact of this machine on the lives of the women in our cooperative and the entire Dabarkda community," says Umar Ibrahim Bunu, Sarkin Dabarkda Bundot." The machine has brought people together and strengthened unity among women. We deeply appreciate the thoughtfulness of UN Women in remembering and supporting rural women."

For the women of Dabarkda, the rice mill represents more than improved productivity. It is proof that when rural women are equipped with the right tools and opportunities, they can transform not only their own lives but also the economic future of their communities. As profits continue to grow, the cooperatives are already looking ahead. Their next dream is to invest in a dry grinding machine and expand the community hub into a thriving centre of economic activity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.
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