Igbo women under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) have said that the rampant search for greener pastures by people of the South-East outside the region was responsible for the increased insecurity in the region.
They noted that to check the trend, there is a need to boost investments, infrastructure and employment, and address food scarcity by reviving agriculture.
The National President of the organisation, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, stated this at a two-day agro-export summit 2024 organised for women in the South-East.
She said: “Movement of our people to other parts of the country and even outside the government is encouraging insecurity. When there is an intruder, there is no one to stop him; every place seems unoccupied, and any stranger can move and subdue our people.
“So, we have decided to put this agricultural show together to encourage our people to stay home and be productive. We need to create skills and ensure that they are put to best use in the communities. We need to bring back home the population of our region, and through that, we are solving the growing insecurity problem.”
She urged the South-East governors to encourage and support women in agriculture, explaining that efforts should be made to return the region to the days of Michael Okpara.
“Our organisation is committed to promoting peace and justice in our region. Our focus is on educating our women on agriculture and how they can create wealth through farming. We want to teach them how to produce what they eat for healthy living and job creation. By empowering our women in agriculture, we believe we can create a mechanism for job creation and population growth in the South-East,” she said.
Chimezie stated that research conducted by the group showed that the Igbo language was going into extinction, explaining that the group has established the Igbo language training centres across Lagos State where children are not just taught how to speak and write Igbo language but also taught Igbo culture in them to preserve the Igbo culture and language.
