The UN Women and the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) have launched an initiative to equip women farmers with climate-smart technologies to boost cassava production and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, announced this at the Cassava Value Chain Stakeholders’ Debriefing and Consultation held on Wednesday in Abuja.
Eyong said the programme would drive inclusive transformation in Nigerian agriculture, noting that women play a central role in the sector, particularly in cassava cultivation.
She lamented that although women account for more than two-thirds of the agricultural workforce, they still face major barriers to land ownership, finance, technology, and markets across West and Central Africa.
According to her, closing these gaps could increase crop yields by 30 per cent, boost food output by 4 per cent, and reduce malnutrition by 17 per cent — significant gains for food security and public health.
Eyong observed that women in cassava value chains are often confined to low-income, labor-intensive roles without access to improved seedlings, modern processing tools, credit facilities, or reliable markets to expand their enterprises.
She called for the inclusion of women in climate-smart technologies, microfinance schemes, cooperatives, and formal market systems to enable them to transition from subsistence farming to profitable agribusinesses.
“The goal is to make women not just beneficiaries but leaders in food security and climate resilience. Let us expand their access to technologies, finance, and markets; strengthen policies that protect their roles; and create green jobs for a more resilient and equitable Nigeria,” Eyong said.
In his remarks, Dr. William Agyei-Manu, IOFS Representative, said the initiative aims to place women at the centre of food security and climate-resilient agricultural systems across member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
“Together, we can transform cassava from subsistence farming into a driver of inclusive growth and women’s economic empowerment across Africa. Let us build a future where no woman farmer is left behind,” Agyei-Manu added.
