Spread the word
The Acting National President of the Smallscale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Mrs Ojo Florence, has called for fair markets, competitive prices and stronger value chains for agricultural commodities produced by women.
Ojo made the call in a statement issued in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Rural Women (IDRW).
She said rural women were the backbone of the agricultural system, contributors to food security and indispensable players in the national economy.
She said rural women work tirelessly to feed families and sustain communities through planting, cultivating, harvesting, processing and marketing agricultural produce.
Ojo called on the Federal Government, state governments, the National Assembly, development partners, financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders to move beyond verbal appreciation and demonstrate genuine commitment to rural women farmers through concrete policies, adequate funding and sustained investment.
According to her, in spite of their enormous contributions, many rural women farmers continue to face limited access to land, affordable financing, quality agricultural inputs, modern technology, extension services, markets and opportunities to influence policies affecting their livelihoods.
She called for equal access to land and secure land tenure for rural women farmers, as well as affordable agricultural financing and inclusive financial services.
Ojo also advocated timely access to quality seeds, gender-friendly equipment, essential agricultural inputs, climate-smart technologies, irrigation facilities and extension services.
She called for meaningful representation of rural women farmers in agricultural policy formulation and decision-making.
She further called for dedicated budgetary allocations and government programmes that address the realities of smallholder women farmers.
“These are essential investments in food security, rural development, women’s economic empowerment and the future of our nation.
“To our rural women farmers, I say: your labour matters, your contributions count, your voices must be heard and your dignity must be protected.
“You are not merely participants in agriculture; you are leaders, producers, entrepreneurs and indispensable partners in national development.
“The time has come to move rural women farmers from the margins of agricultural development to the centre of national agricultural transformation.
“When rural women farmers prosper, families become stronger, communities become more resilient and our nation moves closer to food security,” she said.
Spread the word