Stakeholders have renewed calls for a community-driven, inclusive review of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, emphasizing its crucial role in ensuring food security and promoting rural development across Nigeria.
The appeal was made at a policy review meeting held over the weekend in Ikeja, Lagos. The session focused on updating the existing framework to better reflect the current realities faced by farmers, particularly those in rural and underserved communities.
Azubike Nwokoye, Chairperson of the National Gender Steering Committee and representative of ActionAid Nigeria, underscored the urgency of revising the nearly six-year-old policy. He highlighted that pressing issues such as insecurity, climate change, and inflation demand a more dynamic and responsive policy.
“The existing policy no longer reflects today’s challenges. For it to be effective, its implementation must be decentralised it must go beyond Abuja and be adopted at the state level,” said Nwokoye, represented at the event by Blessing Akhile.
He disclosed that the final draft of the revised policy will be presented at the National Council on Agriculture meeting in September, with the goal of achieving adoption and implementation across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In her remarks, Nkiruka Okonkwo, Co-founder of the Leonard and Nkiruka Okonkwo Foundation (LANOF), emphasised the importance of integrating the voices of marginalised groups especially women, youth, and persons with disabilities into the policy-making process.
Okonkwo noted that associations such as AFAN, SWOFON, YOFIN, and YFAM are already actively engaged in the review. She added that provisions have been made to ensure inclusive participation for farmers without access to digital platforms.
“Training group leaders within farming communities to serve as local extension champions is key. It will help improve farmers’ access to vital information and essential services,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, Chioma Amechi, Assistant Director of Gender at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, stressed the importance of tailoring the policy to reflect the unique agricultural realities across Nigeria’s geo-political zones.
“Gathering feedback from all regions ensures the revised policy is both responsive and comprehensive. If properly implemented, it will foster a safer and more productive environment for farming activities,” she stated.
The inclusive review is seen as a pivotal step towards building a resilient agricultural sector capable of addressing food insecurity, empowering rural populations, and advancing gender equity in Nigeria’s development agenda.
