Women farmers seek inclusion in agric budgeting

The Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) has called for the inclusion of its members in budgeting processes and implementation of agriculture budgets to boost food security and production. The National President of the association, Mrs. Mary Afan, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a ‘Public Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Agriculture Policy’, by […]

The Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) has called for the inclusion of its members in budgeting processes and implementation of agriculture budgets to boost food security and production.

The National President of the association, Mrs. Mary Afan, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a ‘Public Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Agriculture Policy’, by SWOFON and the International Budget Partnership.

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According to her, 75 per cent of farmers in Nigeria are women, with most of them still using obsolete equipment and their needs not included in the national agriculture budget.

She said that the number of those who depend on Nigerian farmers for food has increased, thus the need to mechanise the farms had become imperative. 

Afan also said that the socio-economic effects of insecurity and flooding across the country had led to a reduction in crop yield and income for women farmers.

On his part, the Country Manager, International Budget Partnership, Mr. Austin Ndiokwelu, said agriculture was responsible for about a quarter of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), being the second-highest contributor in the country. 

He noted that the Nigerian government had reaffirmed its commitment to allocate 10% of its annual budget to agriculture, it has not allocated more than 2.2% in recent years. 

Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Mr. Eze Onyekpere, said that small-scale women farmers constituted 60% of the farming population and produce 70% of food consumed nationally.