Improved women’s livelihoods, enhancing social and economic resilience of women

In many communities across Plateau State, women face overlapping challenges including poverty, food insecurity, limited livelihood opportunities, and weak social cohesion. These pressures not only undermine household wellbeing but can also contribute to broader community tensions and instability.

With support from the SPRiNG Programme, SAHEL Consulting is helping women strengthen their economic resilience through practical, community-led interventions that combine livelihoods, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. By empowering women with skills, knowledge, and cooperative support systems, the initiative is improving household wellbeing while fostering stronger community collaboration.

Intervention Highlights

The programme was implemented across three communities in Plateau State—Zagun, Mista Ali, and Ganawuri—each focusing on locally relevant strategies to strengthen women’s livelihoods and resilience.

In Zagun, vocational training enabled 50 women—comprising 25 pastoralists and 25 crop farmers—to form a peace-focused cooperative that improved incomes, strengthened relationships, and enhanced women’s economic agency.

In Mista Ali, nutrition education and participatory cooking demonstrations helped families make healthier food choices while improving hygiene practices and dietary diversity at the household level.

Meanwhile, in Ganawuri, women learned how to convert organic waste into compost, reducing farming input costs while improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity.

Key Achievements

• 50 women in Zagun formed a cooperative, strengthening livelihoods and social cohesion

• Nutrition education and cooking demonstrations conducted to improve household dietary diversity and hygiene practices in Mista Ali

• 150 women trained in compost production in Ganawuri, supporting sustainable farming practices

• Improved soil fertility and reduced agricultural input costs through organic composting

• Stronger collaboration between pastoralist and farming communities through shared livelihood initiatives

Impact

The intervention demonstrates how integrated, locally driven initiatives can deliver multiple benefits—strengthening livelihoods, improving nutrition, and promoting environmental sustainability while also supporting peacebuilding outcomes.

By empowering women as economic actors and community leaders, the project contributes to stronger household resilience and improved social cohesion. Women who once faced limited opportunities are now applying new skills through cooperatives, peer learning, and community activities that support long-term development.

Read the full case study to learn how SPRiNG and SAHEL Consulting are empowering women and strengthening resilience across communities in Plateau State.