By Kate Halim

The fear of unemployment inspired Bose Ruth Suberu’s passion for farming. Even though her future was uncertain, the young woman left her blue-collar job because she said it was boring to start life as a farmer in the village.

Suberu told Saturday Sun that after she graduated from the university, she worked as a secretary in a construction firm but at a point, she got tired of sitting in the office. She added that it was so boring staying in one place all day and she resigned.

“After I resigned, I was left with the options of applying for jobs or being self-employed. Nothing appealed to me than farming, I love plants and animals and I know if I fail, I will still be willing to try again and again until I succeed,” she said.

Even though she loves what she’s doing now, Suberu confessed that farming wasn’t what she wanted for herself as a child. She recalled that when she was in junior secondary school, she wanted to be a doctor, but getting to the senior class, she was a total failure in physics and that made her change to Arts.

She stated that her next ambition was to become a lawyer, which was why her first and second-course choices in her Joint Admissions Matriculation Board examination form were law. But she ended up studying History and International Studies at the university.

She said while studying at the university, she had hoped to get a job in a foreign affairs ministry, embassy or some international organisation. But fate had other things in store for her. Suberu chuckled and said she ended up as a farmer. But she confessed that she loves it, because farming gives her peace of mind. She also said she had control over her time, which makes her regret not starting earlier.

The lady, who hails from Kogi State, said she started farming in 2015 with little knowledge about what it entails to be a successful farmer. She noted that even though she might not be an authority in the field, she is growing and expanding her farm by learning from her mistakes and giving her newfound passion her best shot.  Going down memory lane, Suberu said she sourced for land to start farming after she left her office job and got one after a while. She said that she first started farming with maize and cassava but they didn’t grow well. But she was determined not to work for anyone after that initial setback, so she started researching about how to do things better.

She stated that during her research, she stumbled on a training session meant for farmers which she registered for. She said that after attending the training, she gained knowledge about how she could improve herself as a farmer, so she started growing vegetables.

Shedding light on how she got the capital to start her farming business, Suberu revealed that when she resigned from the construction firm, she had some savings which she used to acquire an acre of land. She said she got a cassava stem and started work immediately.  She noted that for the vegetable farm, the only things she needed were vegetable seeds and a source of water. However, she added that things were tough initially because she had to reinvest the profits she made from the farm back into her land and she was making little progress.

When it comes to the security concerns in the country, the team leader of Farm Advocacy and Rural Development Centre stated that she has not had any challenges with insecurity or herders attacking her farm. According to her, she is very careful and always conscious of her environment.

Suberu, who is the first child of her parents, said that her farm which is located at Oluwo village, off Oni-Garri bus stop, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogun State pays her bills. And even though farming requires strength and patience, the young farmer revealed that she has not had reasons to regret what she’s doing now to make money.

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“From the day I started till now, I love my choice of career,” she said.

According to Suberu, one of the challenges she faces as a farmer is raising capital. She said that with adequate capital, she can get everything she needs to mechanise her farm while noting that shortage of workers, as well as logistics and storage facility to preserve excess harvest are other challenges she faces.

“I need farm inputs and machinery. It is difficult to get farm workers because most people want white-collar jobs. However, most of the work on the farm that needs human labour can also be mechanised. This is where the need to acquire farm machines comes in, but they cost a lot of money. The capital constraint makes it impossible for me to afford any machine now, so I have to keep sourcing for human labour to keep the farm running.”

While farming is capital intensive and requires manpower, Suberu stated that she is not complaining because she is her own boss and can work at her own pace. She said that farming is profitable but requires a lot of patience as it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

“Having the right knowledge and understanding of times and seasons, and learning from experienced farmers is the easiest way to prosper in farming. Simply put, knowing the how and when of farming is key to prospering in farming,” she added.

Even though the graduate of History and International Studies from Lagos State University is optimistic about her future as a farmer, she confessed that at one time, she felt like giving up because she felt really lonely in her quest to become a successful farmer.

Suberu said that some family members and friends didn’t see any sense in what she was doing. She added that they didn’t understand why she left the city to go and live in a village and felt like she was making a mistake. She said that what she heard from the people closest to her made her feel terrible but she shrugged off their words because her drive to be successful kept her going.

She said: “Each time I feel like giving up, I think of those who are looking up to me as a mentor, those I inspire to start the farming journey and I encourage myself to keep moving because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Suberu told Saturday Sun that doing a job which most people believe is reserved for men has made her a target of harassment from some men on a few occasions. She noted that these attacks stem from envy from men who believe that a woman shouldn’t be doing a man’s job. But she quickly added that most men she has encountered while doing her business admire her passion, strength and determination to make it. 

Suberu who hails from Ogori in Ogori-Magongo Local Government area of Kogi State is single. She said she grew up with her paternal grandmother in Ogori where she had her primary and secondary education.

She said that after sitting for the West Africa Examinations Council in 1998, she joined her parents in Lagos. She added that she got admission into Lagos State University in 2002 where she studied History and International Studies and graduated in 2008.