In Nigeria, where food prices remain high and the population continues to grow, entrepreneur Naomi Nwaokocha is applying forward-thinking methods to make farming more efficient and sustainable. Through her leadership in pig farming and palm oil production, she is building scalable models designed to reshape agribusiness in Africa’s largest economy.
Naomi serves as Director of Corporate Operations at Supreme Meat Ventures Ltd and Chief Executive Officer of Poder Farms Ltd, where she oversees enterprises focused on reducing costs, limiting waste, raising quality, and driving higher productivity. Beyond her corporate positions, she has already recorded billions in sales across her ventures and successfully attracted funding to expand operations. “Agriculture is more than planting and harvesting,” she told Reuters in Lagos. “It is about systems, technology, and creating solutions that make farming profitable and sustainable.”
Her entrepreneurial drive started long before agriculture. From a young age, she tested business ideas, learned to negotiate, and built ventures that sharpened her instincts in finance and operations. With several years of experience in business, she has positioned herself as one of the new generation of entrepreneurs redefining how farming and agribusiness are structured in Africa.
Agriculture employs more than 35 percent of Nigeria’s workforce, yet farmers continue to face deep structural challenges. Rising feed prices, low yields, and post-harvest losses contribute to high costs across the food chain. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation stood at 22.74 percent in July 2025. While lower than the 39.53 percent recorded in July 2024, the decline was largely due to recalculations rather than any meaningful drop in the prices of staples such as pepper, tomatoes, and plantain flour.
To address these pressures, Naomi is introducing integrated solutions that connect different parts of the value chain. At Supreme Meat Ventures, cassava and maize are cultivated and processed into animal feed, reducing reliance on external suppliers. At Poder Farms, by-products such as palm kernel cake are repurposed as livestock feed instead of being discarded. Alongside efficiency, both companies emphasize quality, producing healthy pigs and premium-grade palm oil that meet international standards. “Agriculture is a chain,” she said. “When done right, nothing should be wasted.”
Her companies also deploy technology to strengthen efficiency and resilience. In-house applications are used to monitor farm performance, enhance biosecurity, and manage risks. “Technology is not just about gadgets,” she explained. “It’s about building systems that allow farmers to cut costs, reduce risks, improve quality, and scale operations. That’s how the entire industry moves forward.”
Industry experts believe these models could shape farming practices more broadly. “Naomi’s model proves African farming can be modern, sustainable, and globally competitive,” said Dr. Titi Ojo, an agribusiness consultant in Lagos. “If replicated, it could reduce Nigeria’s food imports, create jobs, stabilise prices, and raise product standards.”
For Naomi, however, the mission goes beyond business, it is also about changing perceptions. Known for her blend of intellect and elegance, she sees agriculture as a field where young people, especially women, can thrive. “I want young people to see agriculture differently. It’s not old-fashioned. It’s innovation, finance, logistics, and even global trade,” she said. “The more we rebrand farming as opportunity, the faster we can solve food insecurity in Africa.”
