Stakeholders in the agriculture sector in Gombe State have commended smallholder women farmers for their vital contributions to food security in the country.
The commendation was made on Thursday in Gombe during an event to mark the 2025 World Food Day.
The State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Absalom Akwaras, said women continue to play a critical role in ensuring food availability and sustainability in Nigeria.
Akwaras, represented by a Principal Agriculture Officer, Mr. Daniel Madaki, said the government would continue to support and partner with women farmers to strengthen food systems and improve livelihoods.
He also advised them to embrace the Federal Government’s agricultural initiatives and adopt safe practices in the use of agrochemicals during cultivation and post-harvest preservation.
The Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Cooperatives, Mr. Barnabas Malle, noted that women farmers are active participants in the agricultural value chain — from cultivation to processing and marketing.
Malle, represented by the Overseeing Deputy Director of Agricultural Services, Mr. Jonathan Bulus, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with women farmers to achieve its food security goals.
Earlier, the Gombe State Coordinator of the Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Mrs. Airudia Mamman, praised her members for their resilience and dedication despite the challenges facing the sector.
Mamman appealed to the state government to sustain its support for women farmers through the timely release of budgetary allocations to the association.
“With stronger support, women can do more to enhance food availability, end hunger, and reduce household poverty,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Hope Foundation for the Lonely, Mrs. Sarah Yapwa, also called for collective efforts to address food insecurity, noting that everyone has a role to play in ending hunger.
The 2025 World Food Day celebration, themed “Hand-in-Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” was organized by SWOFON and Hope Foundation for the Lonely, in collaboration with the Gombe State Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
