By Gabriel Ewepu, ABUJA 

As food inflation continues to soar, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, has called on the government at all levels to holistically engage and support women farmers to tackle prevailing hunger across the country.

In a chat with Saturday Vanguard, the Country Director, AAN, Andrew Mamedu, said women farmers have over the years fed Nigeria’s huge population amid daunting challenges including access to land, finance capacity building, mechanisation, markets, and also insecurity, impacts of climate change, and harmful traditions.

On the promise recently made by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to give women farmers N500,000 each, Mamedu acknowledged and counselled that despite the huge impact Senator Oluremi’s initiatives could make on women and girls, the initiatives should be comprehensive solutions to the challenges faced by women farmers and girls in the country with structural changes that address the systemic barriers.

He said, “ActionAid Nigeria acknowledges the potential positive impact the measures introduced by the First Lady could have on women’s economic empowerment and girls’ education.

“However, we caution against viewing these initiatives as comprehensive solutions to the challenges faced by women farmers and girls across Nigeria.

“While financial support and agricultural training are essential, they must be accompanied by structural changes that address the systemic barriers to women’s participation in agriculture, such as access to land, credit, and markets. 

“Additionally, educational initiatives should prioritise inclusivity and address the underlying factors that contribute to girls’ dropout rates, including early marriage, pregnancy, and gender-based violence.

“Therefore, ActionAid Nigeria calls for a holistic approach to women’s empowerment that involves collaboration between government agencies, civil society organisations, and local communities to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution of funds and resources to women farmers and educational programmes. 

“Ultimately, sustainable progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment requires addressing the root causes of inequality and investing in long-term solutions that prioritise the rights and dignity of all women and girls in Nigeria.”