The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has called for increased access to land for women in realising their agricultural potential.
The State Programme Coordinator (SPC) of IFAD–VCD, Chief Sunday Ituma, made the call in Abakaliki during the celebration of the International Year for Woman Farmers.
Ituma said that the programme invited traditional rulers and House of Assembly members to the occasion, to brainstorm on ways of evolving policies that would ensure more land access for women.
“The programme understands the challenges faced by women in their farming endeavours and these include access to land, funds, inputs among others.
“We are aware that some aspects of culture forbid women from owning lands and we state that things are changing.
“We want the House of Assembly to make laws that allow women own lands while traditional rulers should realise that women have rights to land”.
The SPC noted that most of the women pay or hire land to cultivate and when they fail to do so, they would not have spaces to cultivate.
“The programme realises that women face challenges to access funds and that is why we train them on linkages to financial institutions for funds’ access.
“Women also face challenges to access inputs but IFAD–VCDP has done extemely well in that regard including providing training, capacity building and extension services to farmers.
“The programme also provides equipment to assist women in production, processing and marketing of the farm produce including construction of market infrastructures in benefiting communities”.
He noted that the United Nations (UN) earmarked 2026 as the International Year for the Woman Farmer, nothing that the organisation hitherto celebrated international year for women.
“IFAD which funds agriculture under the UN system directed all projects in Nigeria and across the world to celebrate the year.
“The VCDP in turn directed every participating state to set a date to assemble women working for us in celebration of their roles in agriculture.”
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Nkechinyere Iyioku said she felt honoured that women are recognised globally for their contributions to agriculture.
Iyioku represented by Mrs Ngozi Emeka–Anosike, thanked IFAD–VCDP in Ebonyi for its interventions which promoted the activities of women in agriculture.
“The ministry of agriculture will continue implementing policies and programmes which empower women agriculturally because such enhances the economy of families and communities”.
The Rural Institution Gender Youth Mainstreaming Officer (RIGYMO) of IFAD–VCDP in Ebonyi, Mrs Fransisca Anya said the women would showcase their products and produces courtsey IFAD–VCDP’s intervention.
Goodwill messages were delivered on the occasion by the Ebonyi House of Assembly Committe on Agriculture, the State Agricultural Development Programme, traditional rulers, Civil Society Organisations among others.
Mrs Oluchi Ajah, a Member of the Ivo Local Governent Area (LGA) Impactful Women Network, noted that the celebration would motivate women to redouble their efforts in agricultural production.
