The Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development (CJID) has revealed that only one per cent of Nigerian women have access to agricultural land in the country.

The Executive Director of CJID, Dr. Oluwatobi Oluwatola, disclosed this at the commemoration of the World Desertification and Drought Day, yesterday, in Abuja.

He lamented that the one per cent access to agricultural land by women in the country is very abysmal, noting that there is a plan to raise the bar to 50 per cent.

He lamented that currently, 40 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural lands are uncultivated, but that if women are given the needed tools and resources they could put much of the lands to use.

“If women are provided with the lands and the needed extension services, the country’s agricultural production can quadruple, which will be good for the Nigerian economy,” he said.

Oluwatola, however, revealed that the Federal Ministry of Environment has earmarked about four million hectares of land for agriculture, with one million intended for women, saying it is still a work in progress as government needs to work the talk before they can affirm there is progress.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Yusuf Ibrahim, said the aim of the programme was to raise awareness of the role women play in land restoration and the need to have the right to own land.

She stated that the Federal Government was reviewing its policy document to mainstream women in sustainable land management to enable them have access to land.