Lorna Young Foundation (Nigeria)
The Lorna Young Foundation’s (LYF) is a UK-based charity working to eradicate poverty by improving social inclusion, protecting the environment, and strengthening smallholder livelihoods. LYF’s mission, delivered through its flagship Farmers’ Voice Radio (FVR) initiative, is to transform the lives of millions of smallholder farmers through a highly effective and cost-efficient strategy that engages farmers in the production of local radio programmes that broadcast vital farming information, thus improving the long-term viability and sustainability of rural communities.
Since 2009, the Lorna Young Foundation has worked with producer organisations, radio stations, extension agents and market representatives in more than 10 countries across Africa to design and broadcast local language radio content that tackles the most pressing concerns of these farming communities. These programmes have reached a combined total of more than two million listeners with relevant, timely and practical information and knowledge, resulting in the adoption of more sustainable practices, more empowered farmers, and more resilient rural communities. In many cases, programmes have been specifically targeted at women farmers, using community radio as a platform to overcome exclusion, raise their voices and challenge gender norms.
In 2024-2025, the Eurofins Foundation is providing funding to the project “Farmers' Voice Radio for women ginger and hibiscus farmers in northern Nigeria.”
Nigeria is amongst the world’s poorest countries, and northern Nigeria struggles with low-income levels, poor education outcomes, and high infant mortality. Northern Nigeria is also one of the world’s top producing regions of ginger and hibiscus. Due to gender inequality, women famers of ginger and hibiscus have limited access to inputs, finance and markets and are also disproportionately impacted by climate change, which results in low yields. Men dominate in selling these crops, despite women undertaking the labour.
Farmers’ Voice Radio (FVR) is strengthening the livelihoods of 30,000 women ginger and hibiscus farmers in northern Nigeria, to improve the development outcomes and sustainability of Nigeria’s most remote and deprived communities.
Twice weekly radio programmes, broadcast in Hausa language on three local radio stations for nine months, will connect 30,000 women farmers to the knowledge they need to improve the quality, quantity and marketing of their ginger and hibiscus, protect their local environment, and address wider community issues, including health and education concerns.
In collaboration with the NGO Solidaridad and Twinings tea, FVR is using radio to empower women ginger and hibiscus farmers to build profitable farming businesses and more inclusive, sustainable communities.
These projects contribute to the following United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
