The Enugu State Government has commended women beneficiaries of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for their contributions to food production and processing.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, made the commendation at the celebration of the 2026 International Year of Women Farmers (IYWF) in Enugu.
The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer to highlight the essential roles women play in global agri-food systems. The initiative focuses on recognising women’s contributions to food security, nutrition and economic resilience.
Speaking on behalf of the commissioner, the State Project Coordinator of VCDP, Dr Edward Isiwu, expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the programme’s women beneficiaries in the state.
Isiwu disclosed that more than 80 per cent of VCDP beneficiaries were women contributing to various agricultural value chains across the benefiting local government areas.
He commended Governor Peter Mbah for his administration’s support to farmers, particularly women, noting that the governor had consistently provided counterpart funding for agricultural programmes.
Isiwu said IFAD reaches communities worldwide through VCDP and is currently implementing the programme in nine Nigerian states, including Enugu.
“Food security is the key objective of the programme, as farming is now a lucrative activity,” he said.
The Director of Gender in the Enugu State Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Esther Mbah, encouraged women to engage in farming, saying their contributions greatly benefit their families and society.
“You can see that they are no longer vulnerable; rather, they are more independent,” Mbah said.
Mrs Eucharia Anyibuofu, a beneficiary from Enugu East LGA and State Treasurer of the VCDP Women Network, said she previously regarded farming as a menial job for old people but had changed her perception. She added that farming had become a sustainable source of income and that she had received substantial support from VCDP, including tricycles and logistics to transport farm produce to markets.
Another participant, Mrs Felicia Aneke, Chairperson of the VCDP Women Network in Udenu LGA, said she was no longer a peasant farmer but was now engaged in commercial agriculture. She thanked IFAD-VCDP for providing herbicides, fertiliser and cassava stems.
“I registered as a producer in VCDP, but now I am also a processor and marketer of food produce,” she said.
Similarly, the VCDP State Women Network Chairperson, Mrs Lovelyn Ejim, hailed the programme for reaching women in the state and transforming their lives.
“I have been in rice production for years. But today, I am not just a producer but also a processor and a marketer. This would not have been possible without the intervention of IFAD-VCDP,” Ejim said.
Other highlights of the event included presentations by different women’s groups and awards to the best-performing women in various categories.
