By Abbas Nazil
In a bold move to address Nigeria’s growing food insecurity crisis, Honda Manufacturing (Nigeria) Limited has launched a women-focused agricultural empowerment initiative aimed at enhancing productivity and supporting economic inclusion.
The initiative, unveiled during a community development event over the weekend in Lagos, is themed “Empowering Women in Agriculture” and seeks to equip women farmers with essential tools and training to improve their yields, incomes, and livelihoods.
The event emphasized the indispensable role women play in agriculture across Nigeria, while also highlighting the multifaceted challenges they face, including limited access to land, labour, modern equipment, and entrepreneurial training.
Participants at the event noted that although women are central to Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, they are often sidelined when it comes to decision-making and access to critical resources.
A key moment of the event was a presentation by Professor Chinwe Obuaku, a Consultant and Technical Team Lead to the Osun State Government on Climate Change and Renewable Energy.
Her paper, titled “Cultivating Prosperity:
Entrepreneurial Skills for Women in Agriculture,” addressed the urgent need to empower women with entrepreneurial skills as a way of combating food insecurity.
Professor Obuaku underscored the high-risk nature of agriculture and emphasized that a shift in mindset is essential.
She pointed out that many women identify as farmers but do not see themselves as businesspeople or entrepreneurs, which hinders their capacity to scale their agricultural activities.
“Agriculture is high-risk,” she said, “but with a growth mindset, peer support, and access to resources, women can excel and transform the sector.”
She argued that women must first believe in themselves and their potential to thrive, not just as producers of food but as key drivers of agribusiness.
Honda’s initiative marks a turning point for the company, which historically catered more to male customers. Olabade Badejo, the Divisional Manager for Honda, explained that the company wanted to be more inclusive and saw empowering women as a strategic way to do so.
“We thought our main users, our main customers are men. And we wanted to do something to be more inclusive as a company,” he noted.
Atinuke Lebile, one of the beneficiaries of the program, expressed her appreciation, affirming that the support will make a tangible difference.
“We are grateful that you are taking women into consideration in what you do… We are going to use this equipment and send pictures to show that it’s really working,” she said.
Honda’s Managing Director, Mr. Hirohide Ichikawa, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to contributing positively to Nigerian society, especially in the light of the country’s agricultural challenges.
“We understand that there are some difficulties in Nigeria for the agricultural sector,” he said, adding, “And also, from a Honda point of view, we want to contribute to Nigerian society. That is why we are holding this event.”
As Nigeria continues to grapple with food insecurity, initiatives like Honda’s present a promising path forward.
