Oxygen X Finance Company, a digital lending subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, has launched a sustainable backyard farming initiative targeting women in Lagos’s Agege community. The programme, introduced in partnership with the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, combines agricultural support with financial literacy to connect digital lending with grassroots economic empowerment.
The initiative, timed to coincide with International Women’s Month, provides selected beneficiaries with a comprehensive “business-in-a-box” poultry kit. Each kit includes cages, point-of-lay chicks, feeders, and medical supplies such as antibiotics and multivitamins. Alongside these assets, participants undergo training focused on responsible credit management and methods to scale their poultry operations into profitable enterprises.
Emmanuella Awogu, Brand Manager and Acting Head of Marketing at Oxygen X, stated the programme reflects a belief that financial inclusion extends beyond credit access. “By combining business tools with financial education, we are enabling women to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen their communities,” she said.
The partnership with the Lagos Food Bank Initiative is designed to monitor and sustain the programme’s long-term impact. Oxygen X, positioning itself as a “digital-first” lender, is applying its risk technology and credit products to support the transition from small-scale farming to financial independence.
This community-level intervention marks a specific effort by the digital lender to address poverty through entrepreneurship, with a focus on women who often form the backbone of local economies. While Oxygen X operates primarily through digital channels, the project demonstrates a direct, tangible approach to economic development within the Nigerian ecosystem.
The company confirmed that beneficiary progress will be continuously monitored. Oxygen X is integrated within the Access Holdings Plc framework, which states its mission is to deliver financial solutions that help individuals and businesses thrive, with this initiative cited as a core component of moving Africans to their “next level.” The programme underscores a strategy of blending financial innovation with sustainability to support long-term progress for customers and communities.
