About 20,000 female farmers in the Federal Capital Territory are to benefit from the annual agricultural intervention project of the SheFarmers Initiative Nigeria, aimed at improving agriculture businesses and also mitigating food insecurity in the country.
SheFarmers Initiative Nigeria, launched a chapter project in the FCT over the weekend, with the hope of getting more women in the grassroot maximise the opportunities in the agribusiness.
Speaking at the inaugural launch of the FCT chapter, the President of the Initiative, Mrs. Kudirat Ande, said the platform was designed to empower African women in agriculture.
While inaugurating Shefarmers’ Advisory Board and members of the Executives for the FCT, Ande, who was represented by the Vice-President 1, Samera Abdullahi, urged the FCT chapter to work towards creating an enabling environment for women farmers and female agricultural entrepreneurs.
The North Central Coordinator of the group, Hajiya Ladi Sulaiman, said the essence of launching the initiative in the FCT is for people, especially women, to know that there is a group of women with passion for them to thrive in the agriculture sector.
“With the declaration of emergency on food insecurity, we are calling on the government to look at Shefarmers as a veritable platform, and bring us on board to be part of the system, in order to get to the grassroots women.
“There are a lot of technology that are coming up that women at the grassroots need, and we want to use technology to improve farming in the society.
“The platform will train women farmers on home gardens to ensure that households eat purely organic food.
“It also sensitises women on new technology and innovations that improves agricultural yield and ensures bumper harvest.”
On his part, the National Patron of the group, Alhaji Aminu Pai, said the FCT chapter of Shefarmers initiative will raise awareness amongst the women folk especially at the grassroots in the territory.
“It is also to identify with relevant stakeholders in acquisition of land, technical know-how on farm preparation, equipment, seeds, and other farming inputs to improve agricultural entrepreneurship,” he said.
Also speaking at the event tagged “Embracing technology panacea for sustainable agricultural development for women in rural areas,” acting Secretary, Agricultural Secretariat, Abubakar Sadeeq, said the initiative would add value to agricultural production.
Sadeeq, who was represented by Hajiya Umma Abubakar, an official of the secretariat, pledged to work with the group to improve agricultural production in the FCT.
Similarly, the Advisory Board member of the initiative, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, said Shefarmers are expected to be the voice for rural women, as they can advocate for government to buy up farm produce from the rural areas, and stock them in silos.
Ahmadu, also stressed the need for greater collaboration and advocacy on improving the participation of women in agriculture, which would ensure improved value chain and food security.
Shefarmers, was established in 2021 to provide support, by creating enabling environment for female agric – entrepreneurs to thrive in Africa.
