Nigerians are currently experiencing difficulties as our nation grapples with a cost-of-living crisis characterized by rising inflation, food insecurity, high levels of unemployment, and diverse socio-economic challenges. However, one often overlooked but indispensable group is quickly emerging as a beacon of hope: women in agriculture. Across the nation, Nigerian women are playing a pivotal role in the agriculture value chain, as strategic drivers for food processing and preservation, in addition to ensuring food security, and uplifting their families and communities. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the agricultural sector accounts for 23.78 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with women playing a significant role in the sector. In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 66 percent of women work in agriculture as small-holder farmers and in Nigeria, over 52 percent of smallholder farmers are women.
Despite facing numerous obstacles, including limited access to resources, insecurity, land tenure rights, discriminatory social norms, and Nigerian women have demonstrated commendable resilience and determination in the agricultural sector. From small-scale farmers tending to family plots, to agricultural entrepreneurs leading innovative ventures, women are at the forefront of Nigeria’s agricultural and economic transformation. Their knowledge of local crops, cultivation techniques, and sustainable practices is invaluable in ensuring the availability and diversity of nutritious foods for Nigerian families.
When women are empowered to live out their full potential, the level of poverty and food insecurity in the society is reduced because women commit a large portion of their income to the family.
This is a good place to pause and ask why agriculture matters and what the central role of women in it is. Fortunately, we have enough data to guide us in reaching an informed conclusion. According to the World Bank, agriculture takes a huge chunk of Nigeria’s GDP, almost 25 percent and much of Nigeria’s population depend on farming for income. This means that growth in the agriculture sector is a proven way to reduce poverty and Nigeria’s reliance on food exports. Just a single percentage growth in agriculture sector, experts say, would lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
