HB200 Hibiscus Project Signs 600 Farmers in Northern Nigeria
Zaph & Zoe is a Lagos-based agricultural export company. Since 2016 we have supplied hibiscus flowers, sesame and dried ginger to buyers around the world.
This year we set up HB200, a programme to source hibiscus directly from smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria. Instead of buying at harvest, we sign written agreements with farming communities before the season, record every farm, and train farmers toward export grade. The goal was 200 hectares of hibiscus under the programme.
On 29 August 2026 we signed the first HB200 agreement. We treated it as a pilot: one community, to test the model before inviting others in. That single agreement brought in more than 600 farmers and the full 200 hectares. HB200 has moved from pilot to a full programme.
This post explains what was agreed, what happens between now and harvest, and how buyers can visit the farms in October.
| KEY TAKEAWAYS HB200 has moved from pilot to full programme after its first farmer agreement, signed in northern Nigeria on 29 August 2026.That single agreement covers more than 600 smallholder farmers and the full 200-hectare target.We are planning a field day in October 2026 for buyers, media and partners. The date is still tentative.Every participating farm is recorded individually, so each graded batch can be traced to the community that grew it.The agreement fixes no price in advance and transfers no land. |
What changed between August and now
The pilot was meant to answer a practical question: would farmers accept terms agreed months before harvest, with every farm recorded and training built in from the start?
It answered that, and a second question we had not expected to settle so soon. We assumed reaching 200 hectares would take several communities. It took one.
That changes what “growth” means for HB200. The target is already met. Any community that joins from here takes the programme past the size we originally planned.
HB200 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | HB200 hibiscus flower outgrower programme |
| Region | Northern Nigeria |
| First agreement signed | 29 August 2026 |
| Farmers under that agreement | 600+ |
| Hectares covered | 200 |
| Signed by | Three lead farmers for the community, with the village head and women’s leader as witnesses |
| How terms were shared | Read aloud in English and translated into the local language before anyone signed |
| Harvest window | November to January |
| Buyer field day | October 2026, date to be confirmed |
Why we sign before there is anything to buy
A buyer who arrives at harvest meets farmers at their weakest moment. The crop is dry, the selling window is closing, and there is little room to negotiate. We would rather agree terms in August, when the fields are green and neither side is under pressure.
Our CEO, Kesiena Oghene, puts the real test simply. HB200 succeeds if the same farmers are “still with us next season, and the season after that.”
What traceability means on the ground
Traceability is only useful to a buyer if it is specific. Under HB200 it rests on three records for every farm: where it is, how large it is, and what it has yielded. Those records sit against the individual farmer, not just the village.
When produce is aggregated and graded against export specification, each batch keeps that link back to the community that grew it. That matters because the problems buyers most often meet with Nigerian hibiscus, such as sand, stone and stalk in the bag, start at the drying stage. Training farmers on post-harvest handling, and knowing exactly which farms a batch came from, is how we deal with that at the source.
What both sides agreed
The agreement is a two-way commitment, not a purchase order.
| Zaph & Zoe commits to | The farmers commit to |
|---|---|
| Aggregate produce and take it to market at the best price available at the time of sale | Farm using the agreed methods |
| Keep a farmer database with location, farm size and yield records | Give accurate farm and yield information |
| Train farmers on growing, harvesting and post-harvest handling | Let field officers visit the farms |
| Help the community form a farmers’ cooperative | Take part in the training |
Two terms are worth stating plainly. There is no guaranteed price: a fixed rate would need a separate written commercial agreement. And no land changes hands: every farmer keeps full ownership of their farm.
The October field day
We want buyers to see HB200 for themselves rather than take our word for it.
Who it is for: importers, buyers, media and partners.
What you will see: the crop in the field a few weeks before harvest, the farmer records, and the training programme in action.
When: October 2026, in northern Nigeria. The date is tentative, and we will confirm it closer to the time.
Between now and harvest
The next few weeks are about preparation. Field training for farmers, post-harvest handling, finishing the farmer records, and setting up the cooperative that will carry HB200 through its first full season. Harvest runs from roughly November through January.
Frequently asked questions
What is Project HB200?
How many farmers are part of HB200?
When is the HB200 field day?
Can buyers visit the HB200 farms?
Does HB200 guarantee farmers a fixed price?
Do farmers keep ownership of their land?
HB200 in the press: read the HB200 launch announcement on BusinessDay
About Zaph & Zoe
Founded in 2016 and based in Lagos, Zaph & Zoe supplies export-grade hibiscus, sesame, dried ginger and other farm commodities to buyers around the world. We have also operated in the UAE market since 2023.
Get in touch: Company Block 1, No. 34 Oladipupo Oduwole Street, Ojodu Berger, Lagos. Phone +234 701 051 0915.
