The women’s wing of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has urged collaboration with the federal government and agricultural policymakers to promote sustainable farming practices and enhance food security in the country. Emphasizing the crucial role of women in agriculture, the group called for targeted support, including access to land, inputs, financial resources, and the implementation of policies that encourage gender-inclusive agricultural practices.
Mrs. Enitan Onitiri, the National Woman Leader of AFAN, addressed journalists in Abuja, emphasizing that the collaboration sought would empower women, foster economic growth, and enhance resilience in the agricultural sector. With approximately 80 percent of farmers in Nigeria being women, the AFAN women’s wing believes that their active involvement is vital to achieving the food production goals outlined in the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the emergency declaration on food security.
Mrs. Onitiri stated that AFAN has strategically aligned its programs and policies to contribute significantly to the availability, affordability, and accessibility of food, as well as job creation and poverty reduction among women and youths.
Omolara Abati Svensson, the Special Assistant to the Women Leader and Coordinator for Women in Agriculture in southern Nigeria, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct key agencies to collaborate with grassroots women farmers. She stressed the urgent need for the Bank of Agriculture, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, and other relevant institutions to work directly with the AFAN women’s chapter to enhance food production.
Expressing the challenges faced by grassroots women farmers, Omolara emphasized their resilience and ability to transform agriculture with support from the government. She urged President Tinubu to collaborate with them, stating, “We’re not getting any support whatsoever from the government. We all know the stories. I speak for every single one of us. But because we are resilient, we are women of virtue, we take a little and we turn it into multiples from our pockets, so please, Mr. President, work with us; we are the grassroots farmers.”
