Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) has urged the Nasarawa State Government to prioritise timely release of farm inputs for women farmers in the state.
The organisation also called for inclusion of women farmers in agricultural policies and budget preparations of the state government.
Mrs Ogechi Okebugwu, Programme Coordinator for SWOFON in Nigeria, said this on Friday, January 31, 2025, at the end of a two-day stakeholders’ engagement in Lafia, the state capital, on systems change in the agricultural sector.
She lamented the exclusion of women in the budget processes – preparation and implementation as well as agricultural policies over the years.
She tasked the state government to prioritise the needs of women farmers and include them in agricultural policies and budget processes, so that their demands can be made known to them.
“Issues of timely release of farm inputs has been a challenge; farming season is almost here. What measures does the government put in place so that women can access agricultural inputs on time?
“Most times, we have cases where farm inputs distribution come late, even after farming season has ended.
”So, women are pleading with the government to provide space for them to engage timely and also give inputs on time,” she said.
Mrs Jummai Johanna, Chairperson of SWOFON, Nasarawa chapter, promised to continue to bring women together to engage government and relevant agencies to assist women farmers in their programmes.
“We are appealing to the government to include SWOFON in preparation and distribution of farming inputs.
“Women farmers need inputs; if we don’t have support to boost our farming activities, we cannot achieve much,” she said
Mr Sundayson Chidi, the lead facilitator and Public Financial Management Programme Manager, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), underscored the need for inclusion of women farmers in budget processes.
He added that women should be included from the preparation to the implementation to enable them to present their challenges and needs.
According to him, records have shown that more than 60 per cent of the food eaten in Nigeria is produced by women.
He stressed the need for government to commit more resources and support for women farmers to do better.
“Women farmers should be encouraged to do better; more resources should be committed to the needs of women farmers. They have their charter of demands.
“Their needs are too many to meet; they’re looking for gender-friendly equipment like hand tiller machine that can do what tractors can do and women can handle it.
“This thing can be locally fabricated; the state can invest in it, the state can also look at other things like sprayers, harvesters among others,” he said.
Chidi called on the state government to invest in storage to enable women store up their farm produce instead of selling them off and not making much out of it.
Speaking separately, Umar Nuhu, Programme Manager, Nasarawa State Agricultural Programme (NADP), and Mr Polinus Wahe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, pledged to carry women farmers along in the programmes of the government.
The two-day stakeholder’s engagement organised by SWOFON had in attendance women farmers and government officials from the line ministries, among others.
By Oboh Linus