AFEX, firm partner to equip female farmers

To ensure sustainable and safe agricultural production in Nigeria, AFEX and the Kaduna WEE Project have equipped farmers in Kaduna with skills in best agriculture practices.

In a statement made available to The PUNCH on Tuesday, after concluding a sensitisation campaign aimed at empowering female farmers in northern Nigeria, AFEX said the sensitisation forms a part of the WEE Women Economic Project, an initiative driving inclusion for women in rural Nigeria, with a focus on providing essential resources to increase capacity and food productivity in the country.

“Today in Nigeria, women farmers produce 30 per cent less per hectare than their male counterparts, owing to the fact that they use fewer inputs and have limited participation in extension services, farm less-valuable crops, and hire less productive labour.

“In addition to this, women in rural areas are more likely to be excluded from financial services, as the World Bank reports that 37 per cent of women versus 46 per cent of men are banked in developing countries,” AFEX said.

The statement said the WEE Project, which was a three-year pilot initiative funded by the Bayer Foundation, focused on increasing women’s power and influence by removing barriers to work, enabling decent work, and supporting women’s enterprises to help women and girls thrive in the economy.

“Leveraging existing partnerships in health and agriculture to create a sustainable model for women’s economic empowerment, the project focuses on improving access to agricultural inputs, expanding market opportunities, and providing adequate health services,” it stated.

The two-day sensitisation campaign carried out by AFEX in Kafanchan, Kaduna, brought together key partners from Kaduna State, the Women Economic Empowerment Project, Advantage Health Africa, Healthy Entrepreneurs, Jennifer Etuh Foundation, and female farmer cooperatives to discuss the various opportunities available to them through the WEE project.

“Several female farmers were onboarded on AFEX’s technology platform, WorkBench, and trained on global agriculture practices, crop management and crop mitigation strategies.

“Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about the different offers from participating partners and to ask questions about how to get involved,” AFEX noted.

The Managing Director of AFEX Fair Trade, Kamaldeen Raji, said, “AFEX is committed to supporting the development of sustainable agricultural value chains in Africa, and we believe that empowering women farmers is essential to achieving this goal.

“The WEE Project offers a unique opportunity to leverage our expertise in agricultural commodity trading and market access to help women farmers in Nigeria overcome the challenges they face. By providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed, we can contribute to a more inclusive and equitable agricultural sector.”

Also, the Project Coordinator of the Kaduna WEE Project, Mobolaji Adesanya, averred, “We are excited with the success already recorded in this programme.

“This sensitisation campaign by AFEX was a great opportunity to connect with women farmers in our community. As we prepare to hit our target of transforming the lives of 30,000 female farmers, it is important that we emphasise the place of public private partnerships to accelerate progress.

“By working closely with stakeholders like AFEX, we will ensure that interventions are tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by women farmers in rural areas.”