Women farmers under the aegis of Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) have called for gender inclusion in the implementation of agricultural budgets at all levels of government, saying 75 percent of farmers in Nigeria are women.
The National President of the association, Mrs. Mary Afan made the call on behalf of other women farmers during a ‘Public Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Agriculture Policy’, organized by SWOFON and the International Budget Partnership.
Afan observed the need for the inclusion of women farmers in national budgeting processes and implementation to boost food security and production.
The SWOFON president pointed out that most women farmers in Nigeria still use obsolete equipment on their farms, while the number of those who depend on Nigerian farmers for food is increasing. According to her, the need to mechanize farms has become imperative, noting that socioeconomic effects of insecurity and flooding across the country had led to a reduction in crop yields and income for women farmers.
On his part, the Country Manager of, the International Budget Partnership, Mr. Austin Ndiokwelu, informed that agriculture is responsible for about a quarter of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), being the second-highest contributor in the country.
Also, Lead Director, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Mr. Eze Onyekpere, said small-scale women farmers make up 60 percent of the farming population in Nigeria and produce 70 percent of food consumed nationally.
