How Ellah Omezi coaches Nigerian women to start businesses
Farming in Nigeria is often seen a business for men, making it hard for women to break into the field. After Ellah Omezi started the organic Pleroma Farms and turned it into a success, she used ITC tools to coach other women and inspire them to launch their own ventures.
3 MIN READ
impact story
Nigeria
10 April 2025
In 2019, Ellah founded Pleroma Farms and Agri Business Limited. Her business is dedicated to improving the livelihoods of local farmers, particularly women and youth, through sustainable agriculture and food processing.
With a strong commitment to providing wholesome, organic food, Pleroma Farms works with over 2,500 local farmers and aggregators across 20 states in Nigeria, overseeing their production processes and buying their rice, cassava, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, cocoa beans, maize, and tiger nuts. Pleroma emphasizes quality, freshness, and health benefits, aligning with Ellah’s vision of agriculture as a driver of social and economic change for rural communities.
The roots of Pleroma Farms go back to Ellah’s early engagement with ITC SheTrades. When she first attended the SheTrades Nigeria Hub launch, hosted by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in 2018, Ellah was inspired. After taking a series of online courses through SheTrades, including topics like business practices, negotiation, and contracts, she felt confident about her entrepreneurial journey.
With a strong commitment to providing wholesome, organic food, Pleroma Farms works with over 2,500 local farmers and aggregators across 20 states in Nigeria, overseeing their production processes and buying their rice, cassava, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, cocoa beans, maize, and tiger nuts. Pleroma emphasizes quality, freshness, and health benefits, aligning with Ellah’s vision of agriculture as a driver of social and economic change for rural communities.
The roots of Pleroma Farms go back to Ellah’s early engagement with ITC SheTrades. When she first attended the SheTrades Nigeria Hub launch, hosted by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in 2018, Ellah was inspired. After taking a series of online courses through SheTrades, including topics like business practices, negotiation, and contracts, she felt confident about her entrepreneurial journey.
ITC SheTrades changed everything for me. The courses opened my eyes to what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, from securing export certifications to managing operations efficiently.
Her involvement with SheTrades didn’t stop there. She has since completed over 30 online courses and actively mentors other aspiring women entrepreneurs, urging them to tap into the resources SheTrades offers. ‘When I talk business with other women, I always say, “Have you heard about SheTrades?”’
Through the partnership between SheTrades and Visa, she was introduced to a new set of tools to optimize her business operations.
‘Before the mentorship, I didn’t know about the real-time payment system that Visa offers. My mentor guided me on how to take advantage of this, which has improved my ability to conduct seamless transactions with suppliers and customers,’ she explains. Ellah is now integrating digital payment systems and e-commerce strategies to reach a broader, global market. She projects that, with these systems, she can increase turnover by 30 percent and exports by 40 percent, especially to China and Europe. These tools are not just about improving business efficiency – they are about levelling the playing field for women in agribusiness.
With a workforce that is 60% women, Ellah emphasizes the importance of women in agriculture. She coaches other women entrepreneurs in 12 African countries, and is an official mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, providing training on sustainable farming practices, organic certification, and the use of modern farming technology. Her leadership qualities, from her extensive business experience to her empathetic approach to mentoring, make her a role model for many.
‘I want to bring other women up with me. When they succeed, I succeed. It’s not just about me; it’s about the entire community,’ Ellah says. Along with her coaching, she has also recently established the Prolific Farmers and Processors Cooperative, an initiative that provides support, mentorship, and a platform for women farmers to share their knowledge and resources.
Ellah plans to expand Pleroma Farms, with an eye on new facilities in Nigeria’s western states to reduce logistics costs. She also plans to use more renewable energy, including solar-powered dryers and drones for farm management. With these innovations, Pleroma Farms is not just addressing Nigeria’s food crisis but also contributing to reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Through her dedication to sustainable agriculture, her passion for supporting other women, and her innovative use of digital tools, Ellah Omezi is paving the way for future generations of women in agriculture to thrive.
Ellah offers a piece of advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs:
‘Be resilient, be focused, and always invest in your personal development. You cannot stop a woman with knowledge.’
Through the partnership between SheTrades and Visa, she was introduced to a new set of tools to optimize her business operations.
‘Before the mentorship, I didn’t know about the real-time payment system that Visa offers. My mentor guided me on how to take advantage of this, which has improved my ability to conduct seamless transactions with suppliers and customers,’ she explains. Ellah is now integrating digital payment systems and e-commerce strategies to reach a broader, global market. She projects that, with these systems, she can increase turnover by 30 percent and exports by 40 percent, especially to China and Europe. These tools are not just about improving business efficiency – they are about levelling the playing field for women in agribusiness.
With a workforce that is 60% women, Ellah emphasizes the importance of women in agriculture. She coaches other women entrepreneurs in 12 African countries, and is an official mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, providing training on sustainable farming practices, organic certification, and the use of modern farming technology. Her leadership qualities, from her extensive business experience to her empathetic approach to mentoring, make her a role model for many.
‘I want to bring other women up with me. When they succeed, I succeed. It’s not just about me; it’s about the entire community,’ Ellah says. Along with her coaching, she has also recently established the Prolific Farmers and Processors Cooperative, an initiative that provides support, mentorship, and a platform for women farmers to share their knowledge and resources.
Ellah plans to expand Pleroma Farms, with an eye on new facilities in Nigeria’s western states to reduce logistics costs. She also plans to use more renewable energy, including solar-powered dryers and drones for farm management. With these innovations, Pleroma Farms is not just addressing Nigeria’s food crisis but also contributing to reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Through her dedication to sustainable agriculture, her passion for supporting other women, and her innovative use of digital tools, Ellah Omezi is paving the way for future generations of women in agriculture to thrive.
Ellah offers a piece of advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs:
‘Be resilient, be focused, and always invest in your personal development. You cannot stop a woman with knowledge.’