A hundred women farmers in Lokotiye Community, Nasarawa State, have received hybrid cowpea seeds under a new empowerment initiative led by the Family Life and Community Health Society (FLACHS), in partnership with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) through its NGO Support Initiative (NSI).
During the flag-off ceremony, a representative of FLACHS Executive Director praised the project as a timely intervention aimed at strengthening food production and improving livelihoods among women in the region. He stressed that the initiative goes beyond distributing seeds—it’s about building resilience, fostering equality in agriculture, and promoting food security within the community.
Highlighting the challenges women farmers face, such as poor access to improved seeds and vulnerability to climate change, FLACHS announced that the project, titled *Empowering Women Farmers in Nasarawa through Climate-Resilient Seed Access and Sustainable Agriculture*, would provide hybrid cowpea seeds and climate-smart training to selected women, including widows.
FLACHS NSI Project Director explained that the N5 million initiative is being implemented in two clusters, targeting economically disadvantaged women who are often excluded from agricultural input programmes. Each woman will receive a seed package worth over N20,000—sufficient to plant one and a half plots of land.
The hybrid variety, Sampea11, developed by a national research institute, is known for early maturity, high yields, and resistance to drought and the parasitic weed Striga. With proper cultivation, each farmer could harvest between 300 to 375 kilograms of cowpea.
The project also encourages the formation of cooperative groups among the beneficiaries to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.
Officials from Karu Local Government Area and community leaders commended the initiative. The Deputy Director of Agriculture urged the women to use the seeds wisely, while the community head described the intervention as a historic first for Lokotiye. Other local leaders echoed their support, calling it a life-changing opportunity for rural women.
For beneficiaries like Mrs Rebecca Katmi, the support has come at a crucial time. “I was worried about how to buy seeds this season. We are very grateful,” she said.
