Abuja: Nigeria has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to empower 10 million women across the agricultural value chain. This agreement aims to deepen collaboration and ensure sustainability for women in agriculture through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
According to Voice of Nigeria, the MoU was formalised at the National Workshop on Agro-Value Chain Capacity Building for Women Farmers, held in collaboration with the OIC. The initiative underscores Nigeria’s renewed commitment to inclusive growth and food security. Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, highlighted the significance of the MoU, describing it as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s journey towards gender equity in agriculture.
The Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) Initiative, part of this agreement, is designed to equip women with the necessary skills, resources, and opportunities to succeed as entrepreneurs and innovators within food systems. The minister noted that women constitute 70 percent of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce and contribute 80 percent of the total output, yet they face disparities in earnings, ownership, and access to financing.
Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, Assistant Secretary-General of the OIC, praised Nigeria’s leadership in promoting women’s empowerment and food security, affirming continued support from the organisation. The WAVE Initiative will focus on areas such as greenhouse farming, homestead gardening, post-harvest storage, financial literacy, and agribusiness development.
Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim linked the WAVE Initiative to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing the central role of women in Nigeria’s transformation. She acknowledged strategic partnerships, including with the OIC, Mutual Commitment Company (MCC), and the WAVE Consortium, as essential to the initiative’s success.
For farmers like Mrs. Dinatu Adiza Sani from Abuja Municipal Area Council, the capacity-building program represents a new beginning. She expressed enthusiasm about learning to process and package her produce to increase earnings. Mr. Shittu Kabir, Chairman of WAVE, described the initiative as transformative, helping women adopt modern farming techniques and build sustainable value chains.
The programme will provide hands-on training in various agricultural practices, aiming to enhance women’s roles in agribusiness and contribute to national economic growth.