It began with one question: what does a farmer need to be taken seriously?
“I grew up watching farmers work from before sunrise and still struggle to feed their families by sunset. Not because they were unproductive, but because the system was designed without them in mind.”
CANWYF was founded in Ado-Ekiti by a software developer and cocoa farmer with roots in Araromi-Ekiti. The answer to his question was simple to say and hard to build: a record of the farmer’s work, confirmed by their own community, that anyone outside the community can trust.
In September 2024 he registered CANWYF as a non-profit so that it would answer to the communities it serves. Today it works with women, young people and smallholder farmers, starting in Araromi-Ekiti.
Our vision
Rural communities where women, young people and farmers are recognised for their work, connected to opportunity and able to prosper from it.
Our mission
To organise, document and connect women, youth and smallholder farmers, give them training and tools for free, and speak up for the policies that let them thrive.
What we work towards
Six aims guide everything we do.
Speak up for fair policy
We advocate for policies that support sustainable farming, equal opportunity for women and a future for young people in rural Nigeria.
Train people for free
Farmers, women and young people receive training, advice and resources from us at no cost.
Bring people together
We connect farmers, women and youth with each other, with buyers and with partners in Nigeria and abroad.
Share what we learn
We publish what our programmes find, so knowledge built in one community can help many others.
Mentor the next generation
We guide young people and women as they grow in their work and their lives.
Back small enterprise
We help farmers and young entrepreneurs run their work as a business, with records and routes to market.
How we work
Rural communities already have the people, the land and the work. What they often lack is organisation, a reliable record and a way to reach the market. That is what we help build.
Led by communities
Farmers organise into local chapters and elect their own leaders. We work alongside them, not over them.
Free to the people we serve
Nobody pays to be trained, enrolled or verified. Not now, not later.
Checked, not assumed
Farms are visited and mapped in the field, and each farmer’s record is confirmed by their own community.
Open and accountable
We are a registered non-profit with an independent board, and we report what our work achieves.
Our programmes
Two programmes are running in Araromi-Ekiti. Two more are being designed with the communities they will serve.
iTONA Africa
A verified identity and farm record for every farmer, and introductions to buyers.
Ecovitalize Africa
Economic trees and land restoration, with every tree mapped and followed up.
Women on Record
Helping women document the land they farm and trade in their own name.
Next Harvest
A pathway for young people from training to paid field work to their own enterprise.
Our commitments
People trust us with their livelihoods and their information. These are promises we keep.
- We never hold anyone’s money. Buyers pay farmers directly.
- We do not lend, sell insurance or offer investments.
- We never sell personal data. Farmers decide what is shared.
- Our services are free to women, youth and farmers.
- We are non-political and support no party or candidate.
- We do not buy or sell produce. We introduce farmers to buyers.
Our people
The team working alongside our founder. Our board is listed on the governance page.
Oluwatobi Adejugbe
Technology Strategy Partner
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Adejugbe Oluwatobi is a software engineer, AI innovator, and technology entrepreneur passionate about leveraging digital innovation to create scalable solutions for Africa’s growing agricultural and Farmer Network ecosystem. As a Technology Strategy Partner at iTONA Africa — a community-driven agriculture traceability community programme by Community Advocacy Network for Women Youth and Farmers (CAN-WYF) and developed by Green Francis Limited — he contributes to the platform’s strategic growth, innovation expansion, partnership development, and digital engagement vision. With experience in software development, artificial intelligence, branding, and emerging technologies, Oluwatobi brings creative insight and forward-thinking ideas that support the long-term expansion and visibility of the initiative across Africa and beyond. He also serves as Lead Developer at Medilyft and Tech Rangers, while also founding idanAI, an AI-powered virtual assistant initiative focused on intelligent automation and digital accessibility. Through innovation, collaboration, and technology-driven strategy, he remains committed to helping build sustainable systems that empower communities, strengthen agricultural value chains, and position African-led innovation on the global stage.
Olaoluwakiitan Ayomiposi Alade
Legal Adviser & Governance Associate
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Olaoluwakiitan Ayomiposi Alade is a legal practitioner, legal researcher, and dispute resolution enthusiast dedicated to advancing justice, accountability, and good governance. With a strong commitment to professional excellence and continuous learning, she brings valuable legal insight to community development and innovation-driven initiatives. As part of the team supporting Community Advocacy Network for Women Youth and Farmers (CAN-WYF) and iTONA Africa, she contributes to legal compliance, policy development, governance frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and institutional sustainability. Her passion for legal advocacy and ethical leadership helps strengthen the foundation for impactful programmes that empower women, youth, farmers, and agricultural communities across Africa.
Modupe Mary Adetiba
Director of Policy & Strategy, Co-Founder
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Strategic Adviser — Policy, Gender & Climate Modupe Mary Adetiba is a system change leader and gender advocate whose career spans the intersections of governance, international relations, and sustainable development. Holding a BSc in Political Science, a Master of Corporate and Strategic Direction, and an MSc in International Relations, she brings a rare combination of academic depth and real-world policy experience to the CANWYF team. A climate actor and youth development expert, Modupe understands that environmental sustainability and human development are not separate conversations — and her work consistently reflects that conviction. To iTONA Africa, she brings something the platform cannot be built in a lab: the ability to position smallholder farming within broader policy and climate frameworks, open doors in institutional and development circles, advocate for the women and young farmers the platform serves, and ensure that as iTONA scales, it does so with gender equity and systemic impact baked into its DNA — not added as an afterthought.
Work with us
Join the network, support a farmer’s enrolment or a tree, or talk to us about a partnership.