News in brief: Agropreneur Edobong Akpabio emphasized the importance of women’s involvement in agriculture for increased productivity and efficiency during a symposium in Lagos, Nigeria. She highlighted that despite women constituting a significant portion of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, they face challenges like limited access to resources and discrimination, and called for intentional support and investment
Edobong Akpabio, the former Chairperson of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Agriculture and Allied Group, claims that Nigeria’s productivity will increase with the involvement of women in agriculture.
She made this known in her presentation at a LCCI symposium in Lagos. Titled “Role of Women in Agriculture For Sustainable Food Security for National Growth”, Akpabio noted during her address that support for women’s participation in agriculture should be intentional.
She stressed the need for more women to get education, training, awareness, and other support to start, grow, and scale their agribusinesses. In addition, she expressed belief that these measures would led to an increase in agricultural productivity and efficiency.
The agropreneur mentioned that women make up to 43% of the global agricultural labor force, although a recent Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report pegs the percentage of women working in agrifood systems as 36%.
She also said that Nigerian women account for about 70% of the country’s agricultural workforce, thus contributing to 70% of the country’s food production.
However, despite their significant contributions, women in agriculture often face challenges such as limited access to land, credit, and markets. They may also face discrimination and cultural barriers, Akpabio said. Thus, she advised that governments and other stakeholders can help to increase agricultural productivity by investing in women farmers, improve food security, and boost economic growth.
Recall that we recently reported on Ogun State government pledging support for a national women-focused agricultural non-profit, SheFarmers Initiative. Akpabio said that women’s involvement will increase if infrastructural (like road, power and energy) and policy issues are addressed.
She also called for more women to get involved in agriculture at all levels of its value chain, from production to processing as well as distribution and sales.
