By Abubakar Muhammad Usman
In Jemagu village in Dawakin Kudu local government, a woman sells kuli-kuli and groundnut oil to customers she may never meet in person. A few years ago, such a transaction would have required physical presence and cash exchange. Today, a simple bank transfer confirms the sale before the goods leave her possession.
This quiet shift is being repeated across rural and urban Kano, where housewives are increasingly relying on digital payments to expand the reach of their small businesses beyond their immediate communities.
For many women running small businesses from their homes in Kano State, trade once meant a simple routine: produce goods, wait for customers within the neighbourhood, and receive payment in cash. That limitation is now gradually changing.
Across both rural and urban communities in the state, women say the introduction of bank transfers and mobile-enabled payments has expanded who they can sell to, and how far their businesses can reach.
The transformation reflects the growing impact of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in Nigeria. DPI refers to the foundational digital systems, including digital identity, interoperable payment systems and data-sharing infrastructure, that enable people to participate in the digital economy.
For these women, the most visible layer of DPI is Nigeria’s digital payment ecosystem, particularly instant bank transfers through the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), which allows customers to pay securely from virtually anywhere.
In Kano, however, the significance of digital payments goes beyond convenience. In many conservative Muslim communities, women traditionally run businesses from their homes while balancing family responsibilities and observing cultural and religious norms around mobility and interaction with the wider public. Rather than requiring women to travel daily to markets, digital payments enable customers to send money remotely before goods are collected or delivered, allowing many entrepreneurs to expand their businesses without departing from the social environment in which they are most comfortable.
In Jemagu village, Talatuwa Muhammad, who produces kuli-kuli and groundnut oil, says her market has grown beyond what was once possible.
“My customers are both men and women from our community and neighboring areas,” she said.
“But now, people also come from Dawakin Kudu town, Kano city, and even other places like Zaria and Kaduna. Some send money through bank transfer before collecting the goods.”
Before the rise of digital payments, she explained, transactions were strictly cash-based and local.
“In those days, payments were mainly made in cash. But now, because of banking services, some customers pay through bank transfer into my account. It has made payments easier and more convenient.”
A similar pattern is visible in the village, where Jamila Jemagu, a producer of daddawa (local soup seasoning), says digital payments have changed how she receives money even if cash still dominates parts of her trade.
“In the past, everything was cash. But now customers can send money through transfer, and my daughter helps me confirm the payment.”
Like many older women in rural Kano, Jamila relies on younger family members to navigate smartphones and banking alerts. The arrangement illustrates how digital inclusion is often supported through family networks, allowing traditional home-based businesses to benefit from modern financial services.
In many parts of northern Nigeria, where religious and cultural norms encourage women to operate businesses from home, support from family members is also helping bridge the digital divide. Younger relatives often assist with smartphones, payment confirmations and online communication, enabling women to expand their businesses without leaving their homes.
Expansion beyond village markets
In Jili village, Rimin Gado Local Government area of Kano State, Yahanasu Shehu, who sells gurasa, a traditional baked snack, says her business now reaches customers across different locations.
“I have spent about fifteen years in this business. Almost all the people that buy from me, both men and women, from nearby and faraway areas.”
She explained that digital payments now make it possible to serve customers outside her immediate environment.
“Before, it was only cash, but now I have a bank account including Opay where people from far areas send money through transfer, and I send them the product.”
She also noted the role of social media in widening her reach, although indirectly through her daughter.
“My daughter helps me show my products online,” she added.
Malam Shehu, the husband of Yahanasu Shehu, says his wife’s gurasa business has grown significantly over the years, largely because digital payments have made it easier for customers from different locations to place orders.
“Before, the business was not this big. Most of the customers were people from around the village. But now, because people can transfer money and my daughter advertises the products on social media, we receive orders from different places.”
He said the business has also become an important source of support for the family.
“There are times when I don’t have enough money for family expenses, and my wife steps in to support us with the income from her business,” he said.
“As a farmer, there are occasions when I need money to buy fertilizer, and I borrow from her. She also uses part of her profit to buy clothes and other necessities for our children.”
According to him, digital payments have made it possible for customers to pay before their orders are prepared, reducing the need to wait for cash transactions and making the business easier to manage.
From family recipe to digital brand
In Kano city, Maryam M. Umar says her kuli-kuli business, Gidan Kuli, began as a family tradition passed down from her mother, but has now evolved into a branded business reaching customers beyond her immediate environment.
“My business is called Gidan Kuli, and it originally started from my mother. Over time, I decided to turn it into something more structured and branded.”
She explained that social media has been central to her business expansion.
“Most of my customers now come through social media platforms. People see the product online, contact me, and make payments through bank transfer. It has made the business reach people I would never have met physically.”
Maryam added that digital payments have made it easier to manage growing demand.
“Before, it was mostly people around me,” she said.
“But now, with transfers and online orders, I can send my products to different locations. It feels like the business has moved beyond my street.”
Urban women and structured digital trade
In Kano city, more structured businesses show how digital payments are reshaping entrepreneurship at a different scale.
Maryam Gatawa, founder of Gatmeals Limited, which processes and packages local foods such as garin kunu, spices, dried meat products, and powdered foods, says digital transfers now dominate her transactions.
“Majorly, through digital transfers,” she said.
“Since most of my customers are from different social media platforms, it is easier and efficient. Even in my physical shop, we get more payments in the form of bank transfers than cash.”
For her, the shift has also improved financial management.
“Transactions become simpler, bookkeeping becomes easier, and business becomes more direct.”
Zulaiha Aminu, who runs Zeleous Spices and a makeup business, also says bank transfers have become central to how she operates.
“Customers usually pay through bank transfers. It makes things easier because customers can send deposits before the day of service.”
However, she noted that the system is not without challenges.
“Sometimes people take advantage of network issues to claim they have sent money when they have not. It can be stressful waiting for confirmation.”
The digital infrastructure behind the shift
According to branch operation manager of Jaiz Bank, Bashir Ibrahim Faragai, these experiences reflect a broader transformation in Nigeria’s financial system.
“A woman selling local foodstuffs from her home can receive payment instantly, without risking cash handling or transport costs. Digital banking has collapsed distance,” he said.
He added that digital transactions also create a financial footprint for women who were previously outside formal systems.
“Transaction histories give a woman a digital identity that banks can use for microloans. She is no longer invisible to the formal economy.”
Faragai noted that this change is especially significant in northern Nigeria, where many women-owned businesses traditionally rely on neighbourhood markets and home-based production. By allowing payments to move instead of people, digital financial infrastructure is helping women participate in wider markets while maintaining the flexibility to operate from home.
He noted that this flexibility is particularly significant in northern Nigeria, where many women balance business activities with family responsibilities. Instant payments and online banking allow them to participate in the digital economy while continuing to operate from home in line with their personal circumstances.
But he warned that barriers remain in rural areas, particularly network challenges, digital literacy, and identity issues.
The scale of Nigeria’s digital payment shift
The experiences of women in Kano mirror a wider national transformation.
Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) shows that electronic payment transactions in Nigeria reached about N284.9 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, representing a significant increase compared to the same period the previous year.
The data also shows that Nigerians carried out over 2 billion electronic transactions within the same quarter, highlighting the growing reliance on digital channels for everyday payments.
The NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) system used for most bank transfers, accounted for the bulk of this value, reinforcing the role of instant transfers as the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy.
A shift from proximity to possibility
Across the interviews, a consistent pattern emerges; geography is no longer the main limitation for many women traders.
While rural producers still depend on community-based networks, bank transfers and mobile connectivity have expanded their customer base beyond village boundaries to nearby towns, cities, and even across states such as Kano, Jigawa, and Kaduna.
For many of them, the change is not about technology itself but about what it enables: trust, distance transactions, and access to buyers they would never physically meet.
As Talatuwa simply said “Before, we only sold to people who came to us. Now, people can pay from anywhere.”
While challenges such as poor network connectivity and delayed transaction alerts remain, the experiences of the women interviewed suggest that digital payments are quietly reshaping home-based entrepreneurship in Kano. What was once limited to neighbourhood markets is increasingly reaching customers across local government areas and state boundaries.
Note: Some women, particularly in rural communities, prefer not to have their faces photographed due to religious and cultural considerations, and therefore allow only their products to be documented.
This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop
