Najim Abdulrazak: Cultivating the Future of African AgriTech

In the heart of Nigeria, a country where agriculture serves as the lifeblood for millions, Najim Abdulrazak is engineering a revolution rooted in the soil. As the CEO of Noba Africa Agro Allied Limited, Abdulrazak is not merely a businessman; he is a visionary maker whose journey began in the farming community of Kazaure. His upbringing in a region deeply reliant on the land sparked a lifelong passion for agricultural engineering, leading him to pursue a career dedicated to fixing the systemic inefficiencies that keep smallholder farmers in poverty. Today, his work at Noba Africa is at the forefront of the "AgriInnovation" movement, bridging the gap between traditional practices and modern precision agriculture.

Abdulrazak’s career is a masterclass in strategic "Technical Pivots." After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, he turned down a stable banking role to join the agricultural sector, eventually leading high-impact projects at firms like Saro Africa, SEEDCO, and WACOT Rice Mill. His time at SEEDCO in Kwall, Plateau State, remains a defining milestone; with limited resources and the same existing staff, he achieved an astonishing growth in farm yield, transforming a struggling operation into a top performer. Later, at WACOT, he achieved a feat rarely seen in the industry by recovering inputs distributed to farmers through a revamped outgrower department. These experiences provided the blueprint for Noba Africa, which he co-founded to create a more accessible structure for small-scale producers.

Noba Africa, headquartered in Bida, Niger State, operates as a comprehensive "Food Systems" hub. The company's core mission is to enhance the productive capacity of farmers who produce in small quantities, making them attractive to large food processors through the distribution of high-quality seeds and agro-inputs. Under Abdulrazak’s leadership, Noba has specialised in seed varieties tailored to Nigeria's diverse climatic conditions, including maize, soybeans, and paddy rice (such as the high-yield AFR 111 variety). By ensuring every seed is backed by transparent quality control, Noba provides farmers with the most reliable start possible, aiming for germination rates exceeding.

The journey of Noba Africa has been tested by severe economic headwinds. In 2023, the Nigerian agricultural sector faced unprecedented challenges, including a national currency redesign policy, fuel price hikes, and election-related uncertainty. Despite these factors, which significantly impacted trade volumes nationwide, Abdulrazak’s agile leadership enabled Noba to report a net revenue of over NGN 2 billion, representing an increase from the previous year. He achieved this by diversifying payment options for farmers and optimising logistics to reduce post-harvest losses.

Abdulrazak's vision extends beyond the farm gate to community empowerment. Noba Africa is actively developing value chains for commodities, like sheanut, creating sustainable livelihoods for women through specialised pre-processing and handling operations. Furthermore, the company has introduced an "Ethical Investment" initiative, allowing individuals to support agricultural growth through a transparent profit-sharing model that ensures capital is managed with accountability. For Abdulrazak, the ultimate goal is a food-secure Nigeria where the farmer is no longer a victim of the system, but a high-tech maker of the nation's prosperity.

Lessons for Budding Makers

Najim Abdulrazak’s work provides crucial lessons for innovators in the food systems space:

1. Build Trust through Transparency: Abdulrazak emphasises that overcoming the "trust deficit" in agriculture requires open communication and clearly outlined values, proving that a strong brand identity is as important as a strong product.
2. Design for Economic Resilience: His ability to grow revenue during Nigeria's 2023 economic shocks shows that makers must build "agility" into their business models, such as diversifying payment systems and optimising logistics before a crisis hits.