The Nigerian Women for Agricultural Progressive and Development Initiative (NWAPDI) has reaffirmed its dedication to ensuring women and youth are fully included in government agricultural programmes.
During a recent handover and swearing-in ceremony, Mrs. Omolara Svensson, who now serves as the Special Assistant on Women and Youth in Agriculture Innovations to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized the need for inclusivity across all agricultural initiatives. She handed over leadership of NWAPDI to Farmer Lucy Pam, the new Deputy National Coordinator, after serving as National Coordinator for 14 months.
In her remarks, Svensson encouraged the incoming leadership to build on existing efforts to prioritize the needs of women and youth farmers across the country. She pledged to use her new role within the federal ministry to advocate for genuine women farmers and to leverage the agricultural policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to drive innovation and food security.
“This is not to say that we haven’t been working with real farmers, but we must ensure 100 percent inclusiveness when it comes to women and youth in agriculture,” Svensson said.
She further highlighted the systemic barriers that women in agriculture continue to face, particularly in gaining access to farmland and agricultural financing. “Women are still marginalized in terms of access to land, finance, and support. The financial burden is also quite high,” she added.
Svensson noted that her work going forward would focus on crafting innovative strategies aligned with the administration’s mandate to strengthen food security while ensuring that women and youth are not left behind in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
