The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) has appealed to the Federal Government and the FCT Administration to take urgent steps to improve security around farmlands to enable women farmers to work safely and boost food production.
The call was made during the presentation of SWOFON’s Charter of Demand of Smallholder Women Farmers in the FCT at a State-Level Interactive Forum and World Food Day event organised by ActionAid Nigeria in Abuja.
Read Also: Women farmers seek increased government support
Read Also: Sesame: N5bn Doma AgroCity to empower over 1,000 farmers in Nasarawa
Speaking at the forum, the FCT Coordinator of SWOFON, Mrs. Comfort Sunday, said women farmers are among the most affected by insecurity, poor access to land, and limited support services.
“We are calling on the government to make our farmlands safe,” she said. “Many of our members cannot go to their farms due to fear of attacks. If women farmers have access to secure land and resources, food production will increase, and hunger will reduce.”
Mrs. Sunday explained that empowering smallholder women farmers is a direct way to strengthen food security and reduce poverty.
“Women produce much of the food we eat,” she said, “but we still face challenges in accessing land, inputs, credit facilities, and markets.”
She urged government agencies to implement the National Gender Policy in Agriculture and provide gender-responsive support, including access to processing centres, storage facilities, and training in Climate-Resilient Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA).
SWOFON also called for more agricultural extension agents, better rural roads, and improved water systems to ease the movement of produce and reduce post-harvest losses.
“We want government to hear our voice and include us in agricultural planning and budgeting,” Mrs. Sunday added. “When women farmers are supported, the entire nation benefits.”
