Nigeria will on October 20, 2025, validate its revised National Gender Policy in Agriculture, a development set to reshape the country’s agricultural landscape with stronger inclusiveness and equity, reports NaijaAgroNet.
She emphasized that agriculture cannot achieve its full potential if large sections of the population remain excluded from decision-making, access to resources, and opportunities.
The revised policy provides for the establishment of Gender Steering Committees at federal, state, and local levels to oversee inclusive participation and accountability. It also sets out a 2025–2030 Strategic Action Plan, which requires state governments to dedicate gender-responsive budget lines in agriculture. This will strengthen access to resources such as credit, extension services, inputs, and markets for smallholder farmers, particularly women and vulnerable groups, who have historically faced systemic barriers in the sector.
For the first time, farmers’ associations, cooperatives, civil society organisations, and PWDs have played a direct role in shaping the revised framework. Their inputs are expected to make agricultural policies more reflective of realities at the grassroots, where food is produced and where small-scale farmers continue to sustain national food security.
In his remarks, the Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Barnabas Malle, reiterated the central role of agriculture as a driver of employment and economic transformation.
The revised policy provides for the establishment of Gender Steering Committees at federal, state, and local levels to oversee inclusive participation and accountability. It also sets out a 2025–2030 Strategic Action Plan, which requires state governments to dedicate gender-responsive budget lines in agriculture. This will strengthen access to resources such as credit, extension services, inputs, and markets for smallholder farmers, particularly women and vulnerable groups, who have historically faced systemic barriers in the sector.
For the first time, farmers’ associations, cooperatives, civil society organisations, and PWDs have played a direct role in shaping the revised framework. Their inputs are expected to make agricultural policies more reflective of realities at the grassroots, where food is produced and where small-scale farmers continue to sustain national food security.
In his remarks, the Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Barnabas Malle, reiterated the central role of agriculture as a driver of employment and economic transformation.
He assured that the state government is prepared to fully implement the revised gender policy by supporting farmers with training, skills development, and access to productive resources, while ensuring equal opportunities for men and women.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the national validation exercise is being convened by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria and the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON), with technical support from AGRA, GIZ, and CARE International.
Once validated in Abuja on October 20, the revised policy will be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval. Stakeholders are optimistic that its adoption will not only strengthen food security in Nigeria but also position the country as a model for gender-responsive agricultural policy in Africa.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the national validation exercise is being convened by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria and the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON), with technical support from AGRA, GIZ, and CARE International.
Once validated in Abuja on October 20, the revised policy will be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval. Stakeholders are optimistic that its adoption will not only strengthen food security in Nigeria but also position the country as a model for gender-responsive agricultural policy in Africa.
Gbemi Omotoso/Editor
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