Governments at all levels have been cautioned that failing to support smallholder women farmers could undermine Nigeria’s food security and worsen poverty levels.
The warning was issued in Awka, Anambra State, during a three-day meeting of the Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Anambra State Chapter, held in collaboration with civil society organizations as part of the Strengthening Public Accountability for Results and Knowledge (SPARK 2) project, funded by the International Budget Partnership (IBP).
SWOFON’s Program and Communication Officer, Chika Orji, in a presentation on Identifying Priority Issues for Agricultural Budgeting, stressed that agriculture must be better funded to deliver meaningful results.
“Agriculture contributes significantly to GDP, job creation, and food security. Effective budgeting directs scarce resources to critical needs, while poor allocation leads to low productivity and persistent poverty,” Orji said.
The stakeholders emphasized that smallholder women farmers play a crucial role in food production but are often sidelined in policy and budget allocations. They noted that this neglect limits their capacity to expand production, access modern inputs, and contribute fully to national food security efforts.
The meeting, which focused on developing a Charter of Demands for women farmers, also called for inclusive policies that recognize women as drivers of food systems resilience.
“Supporting smallholder women farmers is not just about equity, it is a food security imperative,” the participants concluded.
