The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, has launched a new initiative to empower 10 million Nigerian women in the agricultural value chain.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day National Capacity-Building Workshop in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the programme as “a turning point in Nigeria’s journey towards gender equity in agriculture.”
The training, which runs from August 27 to 29, 2025, is organised in collaboration with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It features practical sessions on greenhouse farming, homestead gardening, post-harvest storage, financial literacy, and agribusiness development.
Highlighting the challenges faced by women in agriculture, the Minister noted that while women make up 70 percent of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce and contribute 80 percent of total output, they earn 30 percent less and only 10 percent own farmland or have access to agricultural financing. “This exclusion may not always be deliberate, but it is real—and it ends now,” she said.
At the centre of this effort is the Women Agro Value Expansion Initiative, also known as WAVE. It is a flagship programme designed to provide women with skills, resources, and opportunities to thrive as entrepreneurs and innovators within Nigeria’s food systems.
“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, women are no longer passive beneficiaries. They are recognized as primary drivers of national transformation,” the Minister declared.
The event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Assistant Secretary-General, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in advancing women’s empowerment and food security across the Muslim world.
Special commendation was given to the Mutual Commitment Company, a key private sector partner in the WAVE Consortium, for its consistent support.
Participants welcomed the initiative with optimism. Mrs. Dinatu Adiza Sani, a farmer from Abuja Municipal Area Council, said: “I have been farming ginger and groundnuts for years, but I only sold them raw. This workshop is teaching me how to process, package, and earn more.”
Chairman of WAVE, Mr. Shittu Kabir, described the programme as a game-changer that would help women adopt modern farming techniques and build sustainable agricultural value chains.
As Nigeria marks 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action and the creation of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Minister urged women to embrace the opportunities. “The policies are being reformed, the support systems are growing—but the real transformation lies in your hands,” she said.
She concluded by reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring women are not only included in agriculture but also positioned as leaders and innovators. “Your success is Nigeria’s success.”