THE Small Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON) has identified lack of access to agricultural land as a major challenge faced by women farmers in the country.

Maryam Yakubu, a representative of SWOFON, Yobe State, bemoaned the lack of access to farmlands for female farmers during the inauguration of a multi-stakeholders’ platform by a global Non-Governmental Organisation, ‘SYNERGOS’, in Damaturu, Yobe State capital.

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Yakubu explained that most of the farms in Nigeria are owned by men, noting that most women lack the capacity to purchase or rent farmlands, unless through inheritance.

Another representative of Women in Agriculture in Yobe State, Aishatu Ali, decried women’s limited access to inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and chemicals.

She said, “If women could have grants rather than loans, they would contribute immensely to the development of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.”

Ali, however, appealed the government, NGOs and other stakeholders to give special considerations and interventions to women farmers.

Muhammed Sheriff, the North-East Project Coordinator, SYNERGOS, explained that the aim of the multi-stakeholder platform was to bring together key stakeholders to have a discussion on issues affecting agriculture in Yobe State.

According to him, the development will enable stakeholders to come together and proffer solutions to already identified challenges, adding that the NGO was also in Yobe State to implement a component of the Rural Resilience Activity Project.

Meanwhile, the Yobe State Agricultural Development Programme Manager, Ali Kolo, commended SYNERGOS and other partners of the programme for the inclusiveness idea used in executing the project.

According to him, every relevant stakeholder was involved right from the planning to the implementation stage.

Omolola Pedro

Omolola Pedro is a Reporter/ Fact-Checker at The International Centre for Investigative Reporting. She believes in a society that is fair to all. She has deep interest in Gender Equality, Social Justice, and protection of human rights.

You can reach out to her via mail [email protected], Twitter:@pedro_omolola