Women in Agriculture in Nigeria
Empowering Female Farmers in Nigeria
The largest labour force in Africa
This is the first time there will be a national community mobilization and sensitization of female farmers in Nigeria for the realization and utilization of their full potential for the sustainable development of agriculture and food security in the country.
Female farmers are the largest labour force in Nigeria.
More than 70 percent of the working population of Nigeria are farmers in the rural areas of the most populous country in Africa .
An estimated 70 percent of them are female farmers working on farms in different villages in the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.
Majority of them are poor and without complete formal education.
They need empowerment for the sustainable development of agriculture for food security and economic stability for the eradication of extreme poverty in Nigeria.
Food security is important to national security, because without food security there will be no national security.
A hungry man is an angry man.
No hungry man can defend his family, community and country.
Only a well fed man can have the strength to fight for his survival and welfare.
An army of hungry soldiers will not have the strength to defend their country in the battlefield.
No food, no power.
Starvation can cause the collapse and destruction of a nation.
Scarcity of food has caused widespread riots and looting on the streets that caused the downfall of a government administration.
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Africa has 65 percent of the uncultivated arable land left in the world, to feed 9.5 billion people by 2050. Therefore, what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. “Essentially, food is money. The size of the food and agriculture market in Africa will reach $1 trillion by 2030.
USD $106bn finance gap in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia agricultural business - CABI.org
The Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) programme has published ‘The state of the agri-SME sector – Bridging the finance gap.’
A recent report estimates demand for financing, from around 220,000 agri-business SMEs in sub Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia at USD $160bn with banks, impact investors and other financial intermediaries providing only USD $54bn. Furthermore, almost all climate funding is targeted at mitigation measures, rather than supporting ways to for agriculture to adapt to the climate crisis with less than 2% of global climate finance – or USD $10bn – being channelled to small-scale agriculture.
Nigeria has the largest arable land in Africa.
Women make up about 70% of the agricultural workforce in Nigeria.
They contribute to about 70% of the country's food production.
In Nigeria, according to the World Bank, closing the gender productivity gap could increase GDP by US$2.3 billion and decrease global food insecurity by two percentage points, thereby putting nutritious food on the tables of another 45 million people.
https://www.thecable.ng/nigerian-women-in-agriculture-a-catalyst-for-food-security-economic-growth-and-family-well-being/
Eliciting the Gender Income Influences on Household’s Food Security in West Africa:
Heliyon
https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(23)04616-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2405844023046169%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
Women in Agriculture in Nigeria is a public forum for the empowerment and upliftment of female farmers in Nigeria for the sustainable development of agriculture to increase the cultivation and production of both food crops and cash crops for local consumption and export to other countries.
We are going to launch a national directory and website for all the female farmers in Nigeria who estimated to be over 30 million working on farmlands in the rural areas.
Majority of the farmers in Nigeria are womenNigerian female farmers are among the most underpaid low income workers in Nigeria, because majority of them are not privileged to own farmlands.
Majority of them are farming on the farmlands of their husbands, brothers or uncles, because daughters are not entitled to any inheritance of lands from their fathers by custom and tradition of majority of the tribes.
Only sons are entitled to be shareholders in the inheritance of landsWomen in Agriculture in Nigeria will empower underprivileged female farmers to unite and form cooperatives for the join-ownership of farmlands and to become joint-venture partners in agroallied ventures such as having silos and factories for processing of crops for the production of flours, cereals and drinks for local consumption and export to other countries.
We are going to introduce Nano drones for farming in Nigeria as female farmers are doing in India.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FnG3TE2qM/
The productions of flours from cassava,maizes, tiger nuts, oranges, mangoes, coconuts, groundnuts, dates, etc have become very profitable agroallied ventures in many developing countries.
We will help in increasing the economic growth of Nigerian women in agriculture with significant contribution to the GDP of Nigeria.
Africa Food Trade & Resilience Initiative
Food Security Monitor - AGRA
https://agra.org/publications/food-security-monitor-3/
- by Mrs. Stella Unah,
National Coordinator,
Women in Agriculture in Nigeria (WAN)
About Female Farmers in Nigeria
"Women play a crucial role in Nigerian agriculture, accounting for a significant portion of the farming population and contributing heavily to food production. They are involved in various aspects of the agricultural value chain, from planting and harvesting to processing and marketing. Despite their vital contributions, women often face challenges like limited access to land, finance, and technology, which hinder their ability to fully realize their potential.
Key Roles of Women in Nigerian Agriculture:
Farm Management and Labor:
Women are actively involved in managing farms and providing labor, often performing tasks like planting, weeding, harvesting, and processing crops.
Food Crop Production:
Nigerian women are primarily involved in the production of food crops such as maize, cowpea, melon, pepper, cassava, and vegetables.
Livestock Production:
In some cases, women also participate in small-scale animal production, including small ruminants, poultry, and aquaculture.
Processing and Marketing:
Women are heavily involved in processing and marketing farm produce, contributing to the food value chain.
Challenges Faced by Women in Nigerian Agriculture:
Limited Access to Land:
Traditional land tenure systems and cultural norms often limit women's access to land ownership and control, hindering their ability to participate in agriculture.
Financial Constraints:
Women often lack access to finance, making it difficult for them to purchase inputs, hire labor, or scale up production.
Gender Inequality:
Social norms and gender-based divisions of labor can restrict women's decision-making power and limit their ability to manage farms independently.
Knowledge and Training Gaps:
Limited access to information and training can affect women's ability to adopt modern farming techniques and best practices.
Efforts to Empower Women Farmers:
Government Initiatives:
The Nigerian government and various organizations are implementing programs to empower women farmers, such as the National Women in Agriculture Programme (NWAP) according to Rural 21.
Capacity Building:
Training and capacity-building programs are being offered to equip women farmers with the skills and knowledge they need to improve their productivity and income according to Rural 21.
Financial Inclusion:
Efforts are being made to improve women's access to finance through microfinance institutions and other financial services.
Advocacy and Awareness:
Advocacy groups and NGOs are working to raise awareness about the contributions of women in agriculture and to advocate for policies that support their empowerment. "
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