By Abdullahi Lukman
In a bid to improve food security and reduce inflation, Ebonyi stakeholders have called for a legal framework that would ensure easier access to and control over farmland for women farmers.
This recommendation came during an agricultural town hall in Abakaliki on February 13, 2025, organized by Participatory Development Alternatives in collaboration with the Smallholder Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria, with support from ActionAid.
At the meeting, participants, including traditional rulers, government representatives, and civil society organizations, identified cultural barriers and lack of funding as significant obstacles to women’s land ownership.
They urged the government to enact laws empowering women to own and control land in both their natal and marital families.
Two traditional rulers, Patrick Oko Agha and Chinedu Chibueze Agbo, both agreed that empowering women with land access would improve food production, citing women’s better management skills.
They pledged to advocate for this cause within their communities.
The SWOFON Coordinator, Mrs. Andrina Okwor, highlighted that allocating agricultural land to women farmers would enhance food production and the state’s economy.
Nnenna Nkama, a prominent woman farmer, stressed the importance of including women in agricultural policies for achieving food security, as smallholder women represent a significant portion of Nigerian farmers.
Anthony Nwegede, Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture to the Ebonyi State Governor, outlined the government’s agricultural initiatives, such as tractor procurement and grants for farmers, while emphasizing that all land in the state is government-owned.
He encouraged women to apply for land following the proper procedures.
Prince Benjamin Igboke, representing the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, and Fortuna Okeh, a CSO representative, supported the call for women’s access to land, stressing agriculture’s critical role in economic development.
Mark Abani, Chair of Participatory Development Alternatives, lamented that despite legal rulings affirming women’s land rights, traditional practices still hinder land access for women.
He emphasized that addressing this issue is key to achieving national food security and reducing inflation.
Abani noted his organization’s ongoing efforts to train women farmers, having already reached over 9,000 women in the past two years.
The discussion highlighted the urgent need for a combined effort from both government and traditional stakeholders to ensure women’s access to arable land, which would significantly contribute to national food security and economic stability.
