The Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), in partnership with the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), has called for increased investment in agriculture, climate resilience and inclusive governance in Anambra State.
The groups made the call during an advocacy visit to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, where they highlighted the numerous challenges confronting smallholder women farmers across the state.
Leading the delegation, Executive Director, SIDEC, Mrs Ugochi Ehiahuruike, said the organisations had continued to champion inclusive development, food security and sustainable agricultural practices through advocacy engagements, grassroots mobilisation and community sensitisation programmes.
She noted that despite ongoing interventions, farmers in the state especially women still grapple with poor access to credit facilities, inadequate storage infrastructure, weak extension services, poor rural roads and limited access to farm inputs such as fertilisers and improved seedlings.
Ehiahuruike further lamented the low level of budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector, which she said remained below the 10 per cent benchmark recommended under the Maputo/Malabo Declaration.
She also decried the absence of gender-responsive budgeting frameworks and climate-smart agricultural policies needed to support vulnerable rural farmers, particularly women.
Speaking during the visit, SWOFON State Coordinator, Mrs Georgina Akunyiba, congratulated the SSG on her appointment and stressed the need for government interventions to reach genuine farmers at the grassroots.
Celebrity farmers
According to her, the state has continued to witness the activities of “celebrity farmers” who claim benefits and support meant for real farmers in rural communities.
The groups advocated the establishment of a revolving agriculture credit facility to improve farmers’ access to affordable loans, creation of a dedicated desk for attracting agricultural and climate finance, as well as the development of a centralised farmers’ database to aid effective agro-policy planning.
They also urged the state government to consider floating green bonds to finance climate resilience and agricultural development initiatives.
Responding, the SSG, Mrs Nnake, commended SIDEC and SWOFON for sustaining their advocacy efforts and partnership despite changes in government administrations.
She encouraged the groups to intensify monitoring and evaluation of government agricultural programmes and budgeted activities to ensure proper implementation and accountability.
The SSG assured the delegation of her support, promising that women farmers and agricultural advocacy groups would receive priority attention whenever opportunities arise for policy discussions and interventions.
Highlight of the visit was the presentation of a video by the Executive Director of SIDEC showing her harvesting palm fruits from her farm as a beneficiary of the state government’s previous farm input distribution programme.
