The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with the Federal Government has made commitment to further enhance the productivity of women in agriculture.
Speaking Wednesday in Abuja at the FGN-IFAD Gender Dialogue and Exhibition, Dr. Donal Brown, Associate Vice President of IFAD, Rome, stressed the organization’s dedication to empowering women and improving their lives through projects.
Dr. Brown, along with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, inspected the exhibition of various products from the IFAD/FGN Value Chain Development Project (VCDP) and LIFE-ND project.
The IFAD Vice President stressed the importance of recognizing and empowering women in the context of food security and production, adding that women play a key role in the production, processing, and marketing of food as well as in making decisions in the home that guarantee adequate nutrition.
In his remarks, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said that women play vital role particularly in agricultural processing and marketing and supporting that will further boost production.
He said in addition to value chain and marketing activities, women have proven to be pivotal in farm production and better managers of farm enterprises.
Also speaking, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, Ms Beatrice Eyong echoed the importance of investing in women to accelerate progress and eradicate poverty.
She emphasized the need for inclusive development planning that takes into account the aspirations and needs of both men and women.
Ms Eyong highlighted the current challenges faced by Nigeria and other African countries in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
She stressed the importance of providing women with access to finance, markets, and information, as well as promoting climate-smart agriculture and digital platforms to support women’s economic resilience.
Some of the women who spoke to Daily Trust at the event expressed satisfaction with the skill acquired by the IFAD/FG projects, which target mostly women and youth.
Motunrayo Rahama Alabi, a 34-year-old rice processor from Awonayoraa Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, has experienced a remarkable transformation in her business ventures after participating in various capacity development trainings.
Through the knowledge and skills acquired, she successfully transitioned from merely supplying the local market to expanding her reach to major markets in Karu and Keffi LGAs.
Today, her high-quality rice products are sought after and sold not only in these local markets but also in prominent markets across Abuja.
