Nigeria women farmers agricultural support

Nigeria has initiated domestic efforts to support women in the agricultural sector through new institutional partnerships. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the Bank of Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) Programme. This initiative seeks to provide three million women farmers with access to financing, mechanization, digital tools, and training to transition from small-holder farming to agro-entrepreneurship.

In parallel, the National Agricultural Development Fund and the National Bureau of Statistics established an agreement to improve the generation and analysis of agricultural data to support evidence-based policy and investment.

Following these developments, the United Nations urged the Nigerian government to further strengthen gender-responsive agricultural policies. UN officials noted that while women comprise approximately 70 percent of those involved in food crop production and processing in Nigeria, they continue to face structural barriers regarding land, finance, and technology. The UN emphasized that addressing these inequalities is essential for food security and economic growth, particularly as climate change disproportionately threatens women farmers who lack adaptive resources.