Women farmers selected from the South-South zone of Nigeria were on Monday trained on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies by the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development.
Mohammad Abubakar, minister of agriculture and rural development, while speaking at the maiden training workshop in Benin City, said Nigeria’s agriculture is vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts of climate change, hence the need to build resilience to threat and effects of climate in agricultural production.
Abubakar said the workshop, with the theme, “Gender mainstreaming into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for women farmers”, is apt and timely following the recent United Nations climate change conference (COP26) that was held in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
The minister, represented by Wellington Omoragbon, Edo state director of federal ministry of agriculture and rural development, said the state was chosen as one among the pioneer states to kick-start the series of workshops because it is situated within the rainforest agroecological zones facing ecological challenges due to the impact of climate change.
“Indeed, it is rain-fed dependent. Any change in the weather pattern, in terms of the amount, intensity, duration, affects farmers’ decisions in terms of the crops and inputs as well as other cultural operations in the value chain,” Abubakar said.
He opined that despite having a larger percentage of women in agricultural production, they are still faced with challenges, especially climate change, access to information and technologies.
“As you are aware, the National Gender Policy in Agriculture was approved in 2019 with the thrust hinged on gender equity and equality for optimum productivity in the agricultural sector. This, ultimately, would ensure commitment to gender mainstreaming at all levels of the agricultural sector, which is seen as a tool for achieving gender-based reforms and increasing productivity by men and women along all the value chains in the sector,” he added.
Read also: FG trains women farmers on climate change adaptation strategy
Peter Aikhuomobhogbe, the permanent secretary, Edo state ministry of agriculture and natural resources, on his part, commended the Federal Government for creating a platform where women farmers can be enlightened on how to limit climate change impact with a view to improving agricultural production.
Aikhuomobhogbe said: “Edo state has put in place strategies and a lot of interventions to support agriculture. Our focus and support are in the areas of maize, rice and sorghum for crop farming; rubber and oil palm for cash crop as well as livestock productions.
“In all these, we ensure there is a 60:40 ratio for men and women farmers. In some cases, it is all women like we have in cassava processing.”
