Nasarawa Women Farmers Want Access To Land, Agric Support Services

Women farmers in Nasarawa State have advocated for the review of land tenure system which put them at disadvantage as regards land ownership.

They said the existing system frustrates access to land and poses serious obstacle that decreases agriculture and income generation of women farmers especially at the rural areas.

According to them, women’s ability and right to use and own a land influence their capacities as producers, noting that access to land was paramount to women whose sources of livelihood solely depend on agriculture.

“So, we are saying that government at all levels and traditional rulers should look into this problem as regards to owning a land by women, they should evolve policies that will enable women to have a land given that women contribute a lot to food security,” Patience Oomegho, a volunteer community based Agric extension expert, explained.

They made their position known during a press conference organised by Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), in collaboration with Ogbonge Women, Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), and Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) and other women organisations in Lafia.

The women also decried the many bottlenecks hindering access to commercial facilities by women who are the major producers of agricultural products.

The activities of kidnappers, bandits and terrorists as well as other criminal elements, they observed, also hamper their operations.

They equally lamented how lack of adequate information on weather outlook, climate change, new techniques and lack of access to modern tools all combined to stall the expected harvests having toiled relentlessly during the wet session.

They therefore called on the state government to evolve policies that would enable them have access to agricultural supports services to boost food production.

Mrs Ruth Joseph of SWOFON, specifically called on government to build capacity of women through empowerment and access to information on climate change and new improved seeds among others.

“I want to appeal to the government to engage more extension workers to reach out to women farmers, build our capacities in the areas of modern farming, women are hard working and ready to contribute their quotas to food security,” she said.

Mrs Justina Bala, from ASSAPIN said women were vulnerable to climate change in all ramifications, and urged government to support them to build resilient against climate change impact.

Mr Ango Adamu, executive secretary, YMCA Mada Hills, said the press conference was in line with “Together Against Poverty” (TAP2) project supported by Oxfam Africa.