The International Fund for Agricultural Development Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) have called for increased investment in women farmers to boost food security.
The Acting State Programme Coordinator, Ogun VCDP, Mrs Abiola Sobukola, made the call on Monday in Abeokuta at the joint observance of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
The event was organised by the Federal, Ogun governments and IFAD, in line with the United Nations declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Sobukola said the declaration provided an opportunity for stakeholders to address systemic barriers limiting women’s agricultural potential and recognise their contributions to the national economy.
She said meaningful food security, sustainable rural development and inclusive agricultural transformation could not be achieved without the full participation and economic empowerment of women farmers.
“The woman farmer occupies a strategic position as a producer, processor, trader, caregiver and household manager.
“Empowering her improves agricultural productivity, household income and community resilience,” Sobukola said.
She listed major challenges confronting women farmers as limited access to land, finance, quality inputs, mechanisation, extension services, technology, storage facilities and markets.
She also identified the severe impacts of climate change as another challenge affecting women farmers.
Sobukola said the VCDP-SAPZ partnership strategically linked female smallholders to agro-industrial processing, value addition and expanded market opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Reaffirming the state’s support, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, said Ogun remained committed to transforming subsistence farming into modern, profitable and sustainable agribusinesses.
Owotomo, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Lydia Fajohunbo, said celebrating women farmers must translate into practical, policy-driven interventions to remove barriers to productivity.
“Our agricultural policies under Gov. Dapo Abiodun create an enabling environment for women and youth to thrive through enhanced access to improved seeds and climate-smart infrastructure,” he said.
He noted that women were not merely beneficiaries of government interventions, but strategic business partners and agribusiness entrepreneurs capable of driving sustainable economic transformation.
Owotomo added that when women farmers gained access to critical resources and improved productivity, the benefits would extend to household welfare, children’s education and healthcare.
He urged female farmers to form strong cooperatives, embrace technological innovation and leverage agro-processing opportunities provided by government interventions.
Also speaking, the IFAD Nigeria Gender, Youth and Nutrition Specialist, Saudatu Zahradeen, called for targeted financial and technical investments to create viable agribusiness pathways for young rural women.
Zahradeen said empowering women farmers was essential not only for gender equality but also for building resilient food systems and strengthening rural livelihoods.
She said the observance provided a platform to amplify women farmers’ voices and support their transition from subsistence farming to commercially viable operations.
Zahradeen urged government and private-sector stakeholders to expand women’s leadership opportunities, decision-making powers and access to productive assets.
On his part, the State Programme Coordinator, SAPZ, Mr Ibrahim Busi, said the joint initiative, the first of its kind in Ogun, would be sustained annually to celebrate women farmers.
Busi said the initiative targeted women engaged in various stages of agriculture, including crop production, value addition, processing and agribusiness management.
He added that the inaugural recognition generated enthusiasm among beneficiaries and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to appreciating women’s contributions to agricultural development.
In his remark,the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Waliu Owode, commended IFAD-VCDP and SAPZ for organising the programme.
Owode said the Assembly was committed to supporting legislation that would make agriculture a mainstream component of the state’s development agenda, including introducing agricultural practices into school curricula.
He said early exposure to agriculture would help change the perception that farming was not lucrative and encourage more young people to embrace it as a viable career and business opportunity.
The event featured award presentations and cash incentives to outstanding women farmers across various agricultural subsectors to promote excellence, resilience and enterprise development. (NAN)