By Tosin Kolade
Mrs Yejide Ogundipe, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security, says the era of paying lip service towards supporting women farmers in the country is over.
Speaking at an event commemorating the 2024 International Women’s Day organised by the Nigerian Women for Agricultural Progress (NWAP) in Abuja, Ogundipe emphasised the importance of inclusion.
The event, themed ‘Inspire Inclusion’, provided a platform to address key issues surrounding gender equality and inclusivity in the agricultural sector.
She said there was need to end lip service and actively foster genuine support for women farmers in the nation.
Ogundipe highlighted the government’s commitment to eliminating ‘portfolio farmers’ who exploited grants and loans meant for genuine farmers.
“The administration has strategically organised women farmers into cooperatives to ensure they benefit from interventions aimed at reducing food insecurity.’’
She spoke on the urgency of President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency on food security and outlined various interventions, including partnerships with the Bank of Agriculture to provide farmers access to low-interest loans.
The presidential aide included initiatives for irrigation projects, and collaboration with the Federal Government and the African Development Bank to cultivate 120,000 hectares of wheat across 15 states for dry-season farming.
She said that government was dedicated to making agriculture profitable, especially for women farmers and urged patience as efforts were underway to enhance the profession.(NAN)
