ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has called for urgent investments in cottage processing and storage facilities in communities by the federal and state governments.
The Food and Agriculture Programme Manager, AAN, Mr Azubike Nwokoye spoke on Friday in Abuja.
He said that such facilities should be owned, operated, sustained and expanded by smallholder women farmers’ cooperatives.
Nwokoye, who is also the Chair, National Gender Steering Committee for the Implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, said such measures were the way forward in the implementation of gender policy and ensuring food security in the country.
“It is time to take into account the role of women in agricultural production and increase concrete efforts to enable them move beyond production for subsistence into higher- value market oriented production.’’
According to him, investment in cottage processing and storage facilities based on different commodities will help address the challenges of post-harvest losses experienced by smallholder women farmers across the country.
He said that gender inequalities limited agricultural productivity and efficiency; and by implication, undermined economic growth and development agenda.
On the implementation of gender policy, Nwokoye recommended increased training on post-harvest loss reduction for women farmers.
He said there was also a need for the provision of solar dryers to smallholder women farmers cooperatives in communities based on agricultural produce that could be dried to prevent losses.
Nwokoye further urged the federal and state ministries of agriculture to create yearly strengthening access to credit budget lines focusing on getting consultants or consultancy firms to support women, youths, and farmers living with disability cooperatives.
He emphasised that through the gesture, they would be able to navigate the too-cumbersome access to credit in the country.
“The team or consultancy firm will handhold the cooperatives to access existing CBN agricultural credit facilities through preparing their business proposals, interfacing, and negotiating with Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), and other commercial microfinance banks.
“The consultancy firm will ensure that the cooperatives access such facilities and other services like extension, insurance, and even market access and they are able to pay back at the end of each circle.
“Government should address gender-based discrimination regarding access, control over land, and participation in land governance,” he said.
NAN
