Josephine Okot: founder of Victoria Seeds, producer and distributor of high-quality seeds

Born in northern Uganda, Josephine Okot grew up witnessing the heavy burden women carried in agriculture and the barriers they faced : limited access to education, credit, and markets. These experiences inspired her to dedicate her life to transforming the country’s agricultural sector.

In 2004, she founded Victoria Seeds Limited with the ambition to provide smallholder farmers with quality seeds. After being denied loans by commercial banks, she secured financing through a USAID-backed loan guarantee. What began with five employees has since become one of Uganda’s leading seed companies, operating three processing plants and a network of over 400 agro-dealers nationwide.

Under her leadership, Victoria Seeds has developed nearly 100 seed varieties and introduced innovations such as smaller, affordable packages, transparent labelling, and mobile seed shops reaching rural areas. The company also supplies crop protection products to improve yields and strengthen farmers’ confidence.

Beyond business success, Josephine Okot has empowered countless rural women, enabling them to increase their income and achieve food security through access to improved seeds and reliable markets. Her model demonstrates that agriculture can be both profitable and socially impactful.

Her achievements have earned widespread recognition: the Africa Food Prize (2007), Oslo Business for Peace Award (2009), African Woman of the Year (2011), and Uganda Responsible Investment Award (2013).

A visionary entrepreneur, Josephine Okot exemplifies the power of women’s leadership in Africa — proving that quality, innovation, and empowerment can drive lasting change.

She participated in South-South Session No.4, co-organised by UN Women and COLEAD through the FFM+ programme, aimed at strengthening women-led businesses through collaboration, skills development, and market access.

Josephine Okot was a panellist at the South-South Series: Empowering and Growing Women-led Business n°4, organised by UN Women and COLEAD, and aimed at strengthening women-led businesses by fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, skills development, market access, and networking opportunities.

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This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.