The Nigerian Women for Agricultural Progressive and Development Initiative (NWAPDI) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that women and youth in agriculture are included in all government programmes.
The Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs Omolara Svensson, disclosed this during the handover ceremony and swearing-in of the new National Coordinator for NWAPDI.
Omolara Svensson handed over the leadership of NWAPDI to the Deputy National Coordinator, Farmer Lucy Pam, following her appointment as the Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security.
Svensson served as the National Coordinator of the organisation for 14 months.
While addressing the new leadership, Svensson urged them to prioritise inclusivity in their activities for the benefit of women and youth farmers across the country.
Speaking to journalists after the swearing-in ceremony, Omolara Svensson stated that she would leverage her position as the Special Assistant on Women and Youth to reach out to genuine women farmers in the country, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s agricultural policies.
“This does not mean that they’ve not been working with the real farmers, but it is to ensure 100% inclusiveness when it comes to women and youth in agriculture, and also to develop innovative ideas that can bring about food security in line with the mandates of the current administration,” she said.
According to the Minister’s aide, women in Nigeria face marginalisation in terms of access to farmland and agricultural loans.
“You know women are being marginalised in terms of access to farmland, land, finance, and all that. I think the tax is very high,” she added.
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