By Abbas Nazil
Women’s representation in policy-making and agricultural programmes is essential for tackling Nigeria’s growing food insecurity and climate challenges, experts have said.
With projections showing Nigeria could have one of the world’s largest populations facing food insecurity by 2050, analysts stress that inclusive policies that empower women could significantly improve productivity and strengthen the country’s food systems.
Food insecurity in Nigeria is driven by multiple factors including low agricultural productivity, supply chain gaps, post-harvest losses and limited investment in smallholder farmers.
Rising food prices and declining household purchasing power have also reduced access to affordable food for many families across the country.
Economic instability, climate shocks, conflicts and poor household nutrition further compound the challenge, making food security a complex national issue.
In 2025, more than 30 million Nigerians were projected to face acute food and nutrition insecurity, a situation worsened by increasing climate variability that continues to disrupt farming activities and deepen poverty in rural communities.
Experts note that unpredictable weather patterns and environmental degradation have reduced crop yields, leaving farmers struggling to maintain sustainable livelihoods.
Despite the scale of the problem, policy experts believe coordinated and well-implemented strategies could significantly improve productivity, reduce food losses and strengthen resilience within Nigeria’s agricultural system.
However, they warn that these gains may remain limited if women continue to be excluded from the spaces where agricultural and climate policies are designed and implemented.
Women and girls make up nearly half of Nigeria’s population, yet they remain underrepresented in decision-making processes related to agriculture, climate policy and rural development.
This exclusion, experts argue, represents a loss of valuable knowledge, productivity and innovation that could otherwise help strengthen food security efforts.
Nigeria’s food system relies heavily on smallholder agriculture, which produces more than 80 percent of the country’s food supply and contributes about a quarter of the national gross domestic product.
However, women own less than 13 percent of farmland in the country, a disparity that limits their ability to invest, expand production and contribute fully to agricultural growth.
Gender inequalities in land ownership, access to agricultural extension services and financing also mean that women-led rural households are often more vulnerable to food insecurity compared with those led by men.
Environmental pressures have further complicated the situation, with advancing desertification in northern Nigeria and increased flooding in southern regions placing additional strain on already scarce resources.
These environmental stresses have also contributed to resource-driven conflicts in some areas, intensifying the challenges faced by rural communities, particularly women farmers.
Nigeria has taken steps to address gender disparities through policy initiatives such as the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, launched by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2019.
The policy aims to improve women’s access to land, agricultural inputs, credit, markets and extension services while encouraging their participation in decision-making processes within the agricultural sector.
Despite these policy commitments, implementation challenges remain a major obstacle.
Customary land ownership systems, which are often controlled by male-dominated community leadership structures, continue to limit women’s access to farmland despite provisions in national laws aimed at promoting equitable distribution.
Experts say the focus must now shift toward translating policy commitments into practical actions that empower women and remove barriers to their participation in agriculture and climate initiatives.
Providing women farmers with improved training, quality agricultural inputs and access to digital tools could significantly boost productivity and strengthen climate resilience in rural communities.
Initiatives promoting climate-smart agriculture, including agroforestry practices that improve soil health and increase crop yields, have already demonstrated promising results in improving farmers’ incomes and environmental sustainability.
Efforts to improve women’s access to financial services are also seen as critical, as only a small percentage of women in Nigeria currently have access to formal credit facilities.
Closing this financing gap through innovative funding models and cooperative structures could unlock greater participation by women farmers and strengthen Nigeria’s broader agricultural economy.
Analysts say Nigeria’s food security crisis requires innovative and inclusive solutions, stressing that empowering women to participate fully in agricultural production, climate adaptation and policy development will be crucial to building sustainable and resilient food systems for the future.
