Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED), and other women Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have urged the minister of agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari to engage women-led groups in the design, planning, and adoption of an agricultural structure that prioritizes nutrition and climate adaptation as the bases of Nigeria’s food security while ensuring inclusivity and transparency.
Hajiya Lami Adamu-Lau, the Head of the coalition and national president of the National Council for Women’s Societies (NCWS), stated during a media briefing held on 7th November in Abuja, that its members working in gender, agriculture and nutrition have the capacity to ensure effective realization of such policies if carried along.
She further stressed the importance of gender inclusivity in implementing agricultural policies, especially regarding food security, stating that there is a clear connection between gender inclusivity and food security.
“There is a relationship between climate change, nutrition and women’s economic empowerment. Similarly, food insecurity has a direct relationship to nutritive access.
“We therefore call on you to support women operating in the agricultural ecosystem to improve resilience to the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
The group applauded the minister’s decision to focus on nutrition and climate change adaptation, describing it as a potential game-changer that could lead the nation to improved food security, economic growth, and a poverty reduction.
According to PAWED, “promoting inclusivity will improve accountability and transparency in the management of public programmes designed to address the problems associated with food security as well as enhance the overall growth of the agricultural sector.”
