“Empowering Her Nation: FG Rolls Out Ambitious Agro-Value Chain For 10 Million Women”

In a decisive step toward addressing deep-seated gender disparities in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has officially launched a national capacity-building workshop aimed at equipping women across the agro-value chain with the tools needed to thrive.

According to iReporter Online, the workshop — organized in partnership with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) — stands as a major milestone under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The three-day event, which runs from August 27–29, 2025, is focused on hands-on training in areas such as greenhouse farming, homestead gardening, post-harvest storage, agribusiness, and financial literacy.

At the opening ceremony held in Abuja, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the initiative as “a turning point” in Nigeria’s pursuit of gender equity in agriculture. She noted that while women constitute nearly 70% of the agricultural workforce and are responsible for producing 80% of agro-output, they remain economically marginalized.

“Women earn 30% less than their male counterparts and own less than 10% of farmland,” she stated. “This isn’t just a statistic — it’s a reality that must change. And it changes now.”

According to iReporter Online, central to this transformation is the Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) Initiative — a flagship programme designed to empower 10 million women across the agricultural value chain. The WAVE initiative aims to transform women from passive participants into key stakeholders in national food systems and agribusiness leadership.

“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, women are not afterthoughts. They are recognized as critical drivers of economic transformation,” the minister affirmed, reiterating that meaningful empowerment starts with inclusive policies and strong partnerships.

The event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the OIC, further solidifying their commitment to advancing women’s economic independence. The Minister praised the OIC for its proactive collaboration and described the partnership as a model for achieving gender equity aligned with international development goals.

Special accolades were extended to the Mutual Commitment Company (MCC), a key private sector player in the WAVE Consortium, for its strategic support in scaling the programme’s reach. “This is the kind of private-public collaboration we need to sustain real change,” said Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

According to iReporter Online, the minister also used the occasion to urge Nigerian women to take full advantage of the evolving support systems being put in place by the administration. “This is your moment. Policies are shifting in your favour, and support systems are expanding — but the real transformation depends on your willingness to lead,” she said.

In addition to government officials, the OIC’s Assistant Secretary-General, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, reaffirmed the organisation’s dedication to working closely with Nigeria to strengthen food security and women’s economic empowerment, not just locally, but across the Muslim world. Representing the OIC at the workshop was Dr. Abdul Falilat Ajoke, Director of the Social and Family Affairs Department, who actively engaged with participants during the training sessions.

Chairman of the WAVE initiative, Mr. Shittu Kabir, described the workshop as a “game-changer”, emphasizing that it would empower women to adopt modern farming techniques, establish profitable agribusinesses, and create value chains from production to packaging.

Participants echoed these sentiments. Mrs. Dinatu Adiza Sani, a rural farmer from the Abuja Municipal Area Council, shared how the training was already reshaping her perspective. “I’ve been farming ginger and groundnuts for years, but I never thought about processing or branding them,” she said. “Now I see the opportunities I’ve been missing. I’m grateful to President Tinubu and Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim for remembering rural women like me.”

With this initiative, Nigeria is setting a new precedent in gender-inclusive agriculture, where women are no longer sidelined but empowered to lead. The WAVE programme signals a future where inclusion, innovation, and investment are not merely options — they are national imperatives.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”