Serving Farmers Through Data: Yetunde Hamza

Listening Through Numbers: Serving Farmers Through Data

Behind every farmer enrollment, input delivery, and loan repayment is a farmer, a family, and a story. For Yetunde Hamza, tracking and understanding this data goes beyond managing numbers; it helps One Acre Fund understand those stories by providing the insights needed to see how we can deliver impact where it matters most.

As the Client Database Management Coordinator for our Nigeria program, she helps ensure the right inputs reach the right people, and that their experiences are reflected in the decisions we make.

Let’s hit rewind for a second. Could you share your career journey? And at what point did One Acre Fund enter the picture?

My passion for working with farmers was sparked during an extension course at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, where interacting with smallholder rice farmers helped me understand how hard farmers work and the gaps they face. This made me realize I wanted to create a direct impact for people like them. 

My first job was at the rural Bobi Grazing Reserve in Niger State, followed by an operations role at a tech company. Later, I saw an opening for a management trainee program at One Acre Fund; I applied and got hired. The program was a four-month accelerated internship that later led to my promotion and kick-started my career here. 

Give us the inside scoop, what do you do in your role, and what does a typical day in your world look like?

No two days are the same for me! A typical day involves checking farmer enrollment progress, updating back-end data, and troubleshooting data collection applications for field officers.

On other days, I clean and analyze data to help teams make informed decisions—whether providing real-time metrics to leadership, helping track farmer loan repayments, or assisting the audit team by tracing a farmer's account history. I also collaborate with global tech and supply chain teams to streamline input delivery and facilitate video tutorials that train field staff on how to use the data collection applications.

What do you enjoy most about working here? 

I love being a true generalist. I can easily shift from managing data to facilitating a training session to hosting a book club.

I also thrive in problem-solving. Going to the field allows me to see how our work directly impacts farmers, which is deeply rewarding. 

The biggest takeaway from my time here is the concept of "Going to Gemba," meaning you have to be where the real work happens. Working directly with farmers taught me that decisions shouldn't be made from a distance. Now, whenever I design a solution, I ask myself how it will affect the farmer and the field officer. It keeps my work grounded in reality rather than assumptions.

How have learning and mentorship opportunities supported your growth, and what have you learned that has shaped how you work today? 

The open culture here makes it easy to learn from senior leaders. For instance, two years ago, when our farmer enrollment system crashed right before a deadline, my team had to quickly learn, pivot, and deploy a new solution. With support from our manager and the global tech team, we adapted and delivered successfully. One Acre Fund truly invests in you as a whole person, which is reflected in our Minna office library, which is full of books on strategy and leadership. 

For me, learning is a two-way street. I recently trained 18 field managers at our Field Academy, helping prepare them for promotions within the organization while deepening my own professional growth.

When you think back to the start of your career, what is something you wish you knew then?

I wish I had a mentor then. Having one earlier would have helped me navigate things I used to struggle with, like choosing my career path. I have a mentor now, who has helped me figure out where I want to build my career. I appreciate his guidance.

How do you unwind after a day of looking at numbers?

(laughs) I have "old people's hobbies."  I love crocheting and listening to audiobooks. When I run out of yarn, I switch to TV series like Grey’s Anatomy, with my favourite characters being Dr Christina Yang and Meredith Grey.

The best part of my work is …. the people.

On one side are the farmers we serve – real people with real stories, families, dreams, and challenges. Seeing our work reflect in their lives, watching them move from struggle to stability, reminds me that what we do carries real weight. Contributing to that kind of change is motivating, and a reminder of why this work matters.

On the other side is the team I get to work with every day. People who support one another, challenge each other to grow, and are intentional about building something meaningful together.