Agriculture
INTERNATIONAL Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP), says it would increase women participation in agriculture by 50 per cent in Niger before it winds up in 2024.
Dr Mathew Ahmed, the State Programme Coordinator, stated this at a one-day advocacy and sensitisation of traditional leaders, religious leaders, men and women on women empowerment on Thursday in Bida.
Ahmed was represented by Hajiya Maimuna Ahmed, the state VCDP, Rural Institution Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Officer.
He said that the measure would increase agriculture production to ensure food security of the state and the nation.
The coordinator said that the process would create jobs and wealth as well as producing food for the women to support their households.
“When the VCDP started in Niger, 38 per cent out of the 100 per cent of farmers participating in agriculture were women.
“When the VCDP-Additional Financing (AF) started, the women participation reduced to 16 per cent, making the VCDP to come up with this advocacy and sensitisation.
“The effort yielded good result because women participation had increased to 48 per cent.
“The VCDP has a target to increase it to 50 per cent before the end of the programme by December 2024,” he said.
He said that the exercise would ensure more women participation in agriculture to enhance their livelihood.
“There is the need to train the women in modern agriculture, support them with inputs, implements and infrastructure,” he said.
He said that under the VCDP, many women were into rice and cassava processing while a few are into production.
Ahmed said that some of the factors militating against women participation in agriculture were lack of support from their husbands.
Others he said were non-access to farm land owing to cultural/traditional and religious affiliations in the state.
Also speaking, Prof. Abigail Jirgi, VCDP Consultant and Resource Person, said that the sensitisation would ensure participation of women in decision making processes at any level to better their lot.
Jirgi said that women empowerment in the various agricultural value chain would enable them own resources and also control the resources for better livelihood.
“We are calling on more women in agriculture value chain because there are huge potentials in the sector.
“If more women get involved or given the opportunity to participate in agriculture, we will produce more food in the country.
“There will be more incomes accruing to households, there will be food and nutrition security,” she said.
She said the three tiers of government and the society must work hard to change some societal norms in order to empower women in the various agricultural value chains.
Jirgi added that this would increase production and create wealth to support their households.
Alhaji Jibrin Abubakar, Village Head of Batagi in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state, said that the sensitisation would improve relationship between husbands and wives on how to support the family.
Abubakar said that religious leaders must find a way of removing obstacles that hinders women empowerment now that the country is experiencing economic challenges to enable them support their households.
Rev. Silas Yisa of the Anglican Diocese of Bida, said that there was the need for husbands to empower their wives to support the family as the man cannot do it alone.
While Mrs Priscilla Ibrahim, Chairperson, Arame Women Cassava Processing Group, Bida, appealed to the men to empower their wives in order to reduce the family burden on men.
There are currently 33,200 VCDP farmers in Niger spread across the eight benefiting local government areas of Bida, Katcha, Kontagora, Shiroro, Edati, Borgu, Wushishi and Mokwa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IFAD-VCDP is a collaboration among Federal Government, IFAD and nine participating states of Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Taraba and Ogun.(NAN)
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Tags: Alhaji Jibrin Abubakar Hajiya Maimuna Ahmed IFAD-VCDP Mathew Ahmed Prof. Abigail Jirgi
