Who We Are
Tomatrix Nigeria is a community-driven social enterprise with a vision to reduce rural poverty by addressing food losses (postharvest losses) through value-addition processing, system thinking, innovation and bold actions.
At Tomatrix Nigeria, we promote enterprising solutions to rural poverty. Our mission is to empower rural communities with resources to fight poverty by deconcentrating productive assets, information, technology, innovation, finance, and sustainable solutions. We are dedicated to fostering economic growth and improving the livelihoods of farmers, farming households and communities across Nigeria. With a focus on social impact and environmental sustainability, we strive to create a brighter future for all.
Tomatrix Nigeria aims to reduce rural poverty in Nigeria by combating food losses through value-addition processing, market development, and access to finance. Through training, technology, and innovative solutions, Tomatrix empowers farmers, fosters economic growth, and creates sustainable livelihoods, thereby transforming agrifood systems and improving rural communities.
- - Community-driven social enterprise
- - Focus on reducing rural poverty
- - Addressing food-crop loss (postharvest loss) through value-addition processing
- - Nutritious food product development through innovation
- - Circularity-as-a-business-model
- - System thinking toward agrifood system transformation
- - Bold actions to achieve the vision of rural prosperity
Our Approach
Our Farmers Training & Aggregation model is designed to equip farmers with essential knowledge, information, and skills necessary for sustainable food production, enhanced productivity, effective marketing, and food loss mitigation. By providing resources for sustainable agriculture, we empower farmers to boost yield, minimize food losses, and enhance their overall livelihoods. Our comprehensive training program encompasses various themes such as climate-smart agriculture, value addition, agribusiness management, farm cooperative dynamics, circularity, and value chain development. Through hands-on and context-specific training sessions, we ensure that farmers can readily apply their newfound knowledge on their farms and within their communities.
Our Approach
Our agro-processing hub is strategically designed to address the requirements of small-scale tomato farmers and local consumers, ensuring access to high-quality, consistent, and nutritious tomato products. Through our value-addition approach and distribution networks, we combat post-harvest loss within the tomato value chains. This multifaceted strategy offers a range of options tailored to meet the specific needs of farmers, communities, clients, and consumers.
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Nigeria ranks as the second largest producer of tomatoes in Africa, trailing only behind Egypt, and holds the 12th position globally (FAO, 2020).
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More than 200,000 smallholder farmers cultivate tomatoes as a staple source of nutrients across the country
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Approximately 20% of the daily vegetable consumption in Nigeria comprises tomatoes.
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Alarmingly, over 45% of Nigeria's annual tomato yield is lost along the value chains, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and improvement in the tomato sector.
Through a systemic approach, innovative ideas and community initiatives, we will end tomato postharvest losses in Nigeria as a proof of concept for net zero food loss strategy across diverse crop value chains.
Our Approach
Market DevelopmentAs a core strategy to mitigate postharvest losses during peak production seasons, we facilitate market opportunities that directly link farmers with buyers. Leveraging data-driven market insights, we provide farmers with valuable information on market trends, consumer preferences, and pricing dynamics. This empowers farmers to make informed decisions regarding their products and pricing strategies. Through a combination of offline channels and semi-formal platforms, we support smallholder farmers in aggregating and showcasing their products to potential buyers, thereby enhancing their sales revenue. By expanding their market reach and accessing a broader customer base, farmers can effectively reduce food loss, increase household income, and enhance their overall livelihoods.
Through our aggregation model, cooperative, and agro-processing hub, we facilitate both financial and in-kind capital for smallholder farmers to support their production activities. Collaborating with a network of farmers and market actors, we ensure access to finance and production output, thereby enabling farmers to enhance their productivity and scale their operations. Additionally, our holistic social impact model extends beyond agriculture, offering farmers access to essential resources such as irrigation kits, household healthcare insurance, and educational support for their children.
Our Team
John Babadara
Founder/Team LeadJohn is a seasoned professional with over eight years of experience in the field of agriculture and rural development. He spearheads Tomatrix's corporate vision, steering the direction of the business through strategic planning, revenue mobilization, social innovations and fostering key partnerships.
Olawale Adeoje
Co-founder and Production LeadOlawale is a proficient community development professional and seasoned production process expert. His expertise also extends to driving value chain development initiatives, contributing significantly to Tomatrix's success in the agricultural landscape.
Precious Mayokun
Food Processing LeadPrecious serves as the food scientist and food product development expert at Tomatrix Nigeria. She oversees product strategy, ensuring stringent quality control measures, and compliance with Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) standards.
Godfrey Petgrave
Agribusiness LeadGodfrey brings over 10 years of professional experience in agribusiness management. His extensive background positions him as a key driver of our agro-market development, portfolio management, and innovation strategy.
Victoria Taiwo
Co-founder and Operations/Media ManagerVictoria leads Tomatrix's operations in Nigeria, contributing to the growth and success of the organization through strategic communication with customers, stakeholders and partners.