The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Federal Government, and the Ogun State government, through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), has joined the global community in celebrating the International Year of Women Farmers, reaffirming its commitment to recognising, supporting and empowering women across agricultural value chains in Ogun State.

The celebration, held at the Training Hall of the Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, provided a platform to recognise the resilience, productivity and invaluable contributions of women farmers to food production, household livelihoods, nutrition, food security and the economic development of the State.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, BoluOwotomo, while speaking at the event, reaffirmed the commitment of the Ogun State government to creating an enabling environment for women farmers to increase their productivity, as well as improve their livelihoods.

The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs. Lydia Fajounbo, noted that women contributed significantly to crop and livestock production, processing, storage, marketing, value addition and household nutrition.

Acknowledging that women farmers faced challenges, including limited access to land, finance, improved inputs, mechanisation, technology, extension services and markets, Owotomo, stressed that the celebration should go beyond recognition to the implementation of practical interventions capable of removing the barriers and enabling women farmers to reach their full potential.

Owotomo, who explained that programmes such as SAPZ and VCDP provided opportunities for women to participate more effectively in production, processing, value addition, storage and market access, urged women farmers to embrace innovation, improved agricultural technologies, climate-smart practices, value addition and cooperative development. He assured them of the continued support of the State Government.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, WaliuOwode, said the Ogun State House of Assembly had pledged stronger policy support for women farmers as the state joins the global community in celebrating the International Year of Women Farmers.

He noted that women constitute a significant proportion of smallholder farmers and make substantial contributions to food production through crop cultivation and livestock farming.

Also, the Gender, Youth and Nutrition Specialist, Country Programme Advisory Team (CPAT), Mrs SaudatZahradeen, emphasised the need to move beyond celebrating women farmers to creating practical opportunities that would enable them to thrive.

Zahradeen noted that empowering women farmers was essential not only to advancing gender equality but also to strengthening food security, rural livelihoods and resilient food systems. She stressed that the International Year of Women Farmers provided an important platform for governments, development partners, private-sector actors and communities to increase investments in women and ensure that agricultural programmes respond effectively to their specific needs.

In her remarks, the Acting State Programme Coordinator, VCDP, Mrs. AbiolaShobukola, said the programme provided stakeholders with a unique opportunity to recognise the critical role of women in agriculture and take deliberate action towards addressing the barriers that limit their full potential.

Shobukola noted that the celebration reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal and Ogun State Governments, IFAD and implementing partners to strengthening women’s participation in agriculture and ensuring that the benefits of agricultural development are inclusive, sustainable and accessible to women farmers across the state.

The State Project Coordinator of the SAPZProgramme, Mr. Ibrahim Busi, stated that the celebration provided an opportunity to recognise the critical role women play in agriculture while strengthening efforts to integrate them into Ogun State’s emerging agro-industrialisation ecosystem.

Busi explained that SAPZ was designed not merely to increase agricultural production, but to transform agriculture from predominantly primary production into a more integrated, commercially viable and sustainable agro-industrial system by establishing stronger linkages among farmers, processors, aggregators, markets, infrastructure and private-sector investors.

The coordinator explained that the development of agro-industrial infrastructure and processing facilities would provide opportunities for farmers, particularly women, to participate in value addition, processing, packaging, aggregation and market-oriented production.

He added that agro-industrialisation would help address some of the major challenges confronting women farmers by reducing post-harvest losses, improving access to markets, strengthening linkages between producers and processors, promoting value addition and creating opportunities for women to participate in higher-value segments of the agricultural value chain.

Busi further noted that SAPZ would contribute to creating an enabling environment where farmers could produce not only for household consumption but also for structured markets and agro-industrial enterprises.

He encouraged women farmers to organise themselves into strong and functional cooperatives, noting that collective action would enhance their access to agricultural inputs, finance, technology, extension services and markets, while strengthening their bargaining power.