FG trains women farmers on climate change mitigation, improved productivity

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3 years ago

Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, has stated that the North Central Zonal trainings of smallholder women farmers towards climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies are expected to enhance agricultural productivity and food sustainability in all seasons.

Speaking at the Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming, into Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Women Farmers in the North Central Zone held at the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director, Reform Coordination, Mrs Gertrude Orji, said that he Nigeria’s agriculture is most vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

He said any change in the weather pattern, in terms of the amount, intensity, duration, and the on-set, duration affect farmers’ decisions on when what and where of the crops and inputs as well as other cultural operations in the value chain.

The Permanent Secretary further stated that climate change and variability affect particularly women who constitute the most vulnerable among the farming communities.’’

He stressed that “women constitute about 80per cent of the labour force involved in agricultural production and grow up to 80per cent of the food in Nigeria. Overall, they constitute about 43 % of the agricultural labour force in developing countries.”

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Dr. Umakhihe stated that ‘’climate change mitigation means avoiding and reducing the emission of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to prevent the planet from warming to more extreme temperatures. While climate change adaption refers to altering our behaviour systems, and in some cases – was of life to protect our families, our economies and the environment in which we live from the impacts of climate change’’.

He pointed out that ‘’over the last decade, nearly 4 billion people suffered climate-related disaster; we must therefore work hard to protect vulnerable communities from extinction and prevent dangers of the climate change’’.

He pledged that the ministry will continue to work on interventions that are geared towards empowering women farmers, youth and achieving food security and creating jobs.

He tasked the participants at the workshop to utilize the knowledge they will acquire as it would expose them to climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as improve agricultural productivity.

In her welcome address, the Director of Special Duties in the Ministry, Mrs Fausat Lawal represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in the Ministry, Mrs Gloria lnyangabasi said that ‘’climate change triggers floods, droughts, rise in sea levels, it also affects our ecosystems, source of livelihood, health, economy and cultural practices, especially in agriculture.

She said it is important to note that, agricultural activities cannot thrive in a hostile environment occasioned by adverse climate change’’.

She urged the participants to ensure that they step down the training in their various domains to achieve the sustainable environment for agricultural activities across the country.

The Head, Gender Unit in the Ministry, Mrs Ifeoma Anyanwu, in her remarks, said that the thrust of the National Gender Policy is to reduce the vulnerability of women in agriculture, especially in their access to inputs, feeds, finance and information so that they can contribute meaningfully to agriculture.

The over 200 Smallholder Women farmers from Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarrawa, Niger and FCT, representing the North central Geo-Political Zone were given clean stoves starter packs.