In commemoration of Nigeria’s 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) partnered with the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) to train women in agriculture.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday during the IWD celebration, Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, president of UNESCO Read and Earn Federation (REF), explained that the training was initiated to improve the economic empowerment of Nigerian women.
Ladigbolu revealed that wives of assistant inspectors-general and deputy inspectors-general of police across the country participated in a hydroponics agriculture program in the United States.
He said the training would provide the necessary impetus to enhance indigenous farming systems for better productivity through improved linkages and incentives. (Impetus is a stronger word than “momentum” in this context).
Here’s a bracketed explanation of hydroponics: (Hydroponics is a technique for growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.)
“This initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s administration’s key policy of creating food sufficiency for the nation,” Ladigbolu stated.
“It also aims to create wealth and generate employment opportunities by adding value to the agricultural sector, ultimately contributing to food and nutrition security in Nigeria.”
“This training serves as a significant step to support President Bola Tinubu’s vision of establishing agricultural hubs across Nigeria, as outlined in his inaugural speech.”
He concluded by highlighting that the training would also contribute to achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) championed by President Tinubu.