It’s hard to be a farmer in Nigeria, we are changing that narrative – Lawoyin, CEO PricePally

The common perception of the average Nigerian farmer has been one of hardship and poverty, stooped backs in sun-scorched fields, scraping by in a system that offers little reward for enormous labour. But that narrative was challenged and reimagined at the inaugural PricePally Impact Summit, held in Lagos on May 22–23, 2025.

With the theme ‘From Farm to Table: The Future of Fresh Foods – Sustainable, Affordable, and Accessible,’ the summit brought together stakeholders across Nigeria’s food ecosystem: farmers, policymakers, financiers, tech innovators, and entrepreneurs to discuss the way forward for food security in Nigeria.

Among the discussions on infrastructure, access, and affordability, the consensus was that farmers must no longer be seen as subsistence workers. They are strategic partners in Nigeria’s journey to food security and economic growth.

Luther Lawoyin, the CEO of PricePally, who hosted the summit, expressed that PricePally is on a mission to push the narrative of comfortable and prosperous farmers happy with what they are doing.

“It’s hard to be a farmer in Nigeria and we want to change that narrative. We want to push the narrative of a prosperous farmer, someone who is comfortable tilling the ground and not a slave. They make PricePally what it is today.”

This call to dignity and prosperity for farmers was also shared by other speakers at the summit. They posited that if Nigeria is to scale its food systems sustainably, farmers must be seen, supported, and celebrated as businesspeople and innovators, not charity cases.

In a session on sustainable food systems, Continental Adetiloye put it directly that: “We don’t have a food production problem; we have a distribution problem.” The implication? Farmers are producing; the system is failing them. Fixing logistics, access to financing, and climate-resilient infrastructure would unlock the potential for farmers to scale and thrive.

At the policy level, Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, underscored the importance of platforms like PricePally in filling systemic gaps.

“When we have disruptions in the supply chain, like we saw during COVID, companies like PricePally step in to bridge those gaps, enabling farmers and delivering value to consumers. These are the right set of businesses the government wants to support,” she said.

In celebrating farmers, PricePally also modelled what that future could look like: liaison officers and standout farmers were publicly recognised for their contributions.

Femi Adekoya of Integrated Aerial Precision Project summed it up by saying, “Farming should no longer be a poverty management strategy but a wealth creation strategy.”

In celebrating farm brands such as Mariam Farm, Olafem Farm, and Professional Farm Support Vegetables with meritorious awards, PricePally also modelled what the future could look like, one where they would be regularly recognised for their contributions.

Reacting, awardees and participants at the summit congratulated Lawoyin and PricePally for “doing a fantastic job in only five years,” remarking that “events like this will continue to drive the necessary discussions and growth in the food sector.”