FAIN, stakeholders seek review of gender policies on agric export

The Farmers Aggregators Initiative of Nigeria (FAIN) and other stakeholders have called for a comprehensive review of existing gender policies and laws on agricultural export.

While making the call at a summit on Mainstreaming Gender in Agriculture organised by FAIN at the weekend, in Abuja, FAIN’s CEO, Cornelius Agenyi, said the summit was aimed at enhancing gender mainstreaming within agriculture by promoting the active participation of women and youths, addressing vital sectoral issues and contributing to the fight against food insecurity.

Agenyi called for the collaboration of government, international organisations, and the private sector to ensure that gender-sensitive policies are implemented and are not just in place but also effective.

He specifically urged them to prioritise land rights, access to finance and equal representation in leadership roles.

According to him, the summit will also provide a platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing experiences and discussing best practices, adding that FAIN is committed to empowering women and youth through modern agricultural practices that foster sustainable livelihoods, aligning with SDGs 1, 2 and 5.

Agenyi said the initiative collaborated with more than 41 MDAs and government agencies and was endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

The chairman of FAIN’s board of trustees, Abdulmumini Aminu, called for decisive actions towards visible support for Nigerian women to succeed in the agricultural sector.

Aminu identified funding as a major challenge to boosting women farmers’ participation in agriculture. He, however, urged President Bola Tinubu to take up the challenge of maintaining gender in agricultural business in line with the renewed hope agenda.

The Managing Director, Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Folashade Joseph, identified women as indispensable to achieving food security, nothing that yet, their potential remained underutilised due to systemic barriers.

According to her, empowering women’s societies can only be achieved by improving food security and addressing broader poverty reduction goals, gender equality and sustainable development.

She listed some objective areas towards SDGs as improved or enhanced stakeholders’ understanding of gender policies and their impact on agriculture and export trade, promoting gender equality and increasing women’s participation.

Joseph, however, said there was a need to comprehensively review existing gender policies and laws relating to agriculture and trade.