Technoserve, an international organisation that offers business solutions, in collaboration with Synergos –Nigeria, which participates in States Partnerships for Agriculture, are currently seeking for an increase in women participation in agribusiness to drive wealth creation.
The organisations at the just concluded women in agribusiness stakeholders’ conference in Abuja said that there is need for women to prioritise data in their business transactions, which they say will help them attract more opportunities.
Lanre Umunna, country director, Technoserve told newsmen at the end of the stakeholders meeting which is geared towards empowering women in agribusiness said “basically it is important to note that both Synergos and Technoserve are working towards the elimination of poverty in Nigeria, through various approaches. While Synagos uses a systemic approach by letting the state government take ownership of agricultural programmes, Techno-serve believes in unveiling solutions to poverty.”
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“For us in Technoserve, it is to bring market-based solutions, eliminating poverty in the countries where we work. So, Synagos and Technoserve entered into this project called state partnership in agriculture and what we were asked to do as a core partner is to help develop a series of reports,” Umunna said.
According to him, “The reports we are looking at from Kogi, Benue and Kaduna contains a baseline assessment of three states and it also contains mapping which is an understanding of the works be done in the area of ginger, Maize, and rice.
“It also reports on the policy works that has been done in various states on agriculture investment plan. So, To do that, we needed to collect data and we realised that the paucity of data is a major issue, he said.
According to him, “The quality of data we have today makes it difficult for us to maximise the investment that we could get from agriculture.”
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“We also see that we are creating jobs for women and you could also see that the policies for states and strategies for states would work towards achieving our common goal and through systematically developing agriculture,” the country director said.
Speaking further he said, “they must take issues of data seriously, it would also help companies and donor agencies operating in the sector make investment decisions and to know exactly on how to help Nigeria.”
“We need to invest more in data, and also investing in time and energy. We have some tomato farms in Benue and Plateau states. Also in rice and Maize projects in Kwara, Kogi and Benue, and we have 10,000 farmers of which 42 per cent are women.
“We must also keep asking ourselves, how we improve the nutritional status of the agricultural products in Nigeria. That is critical, against the backdrop of the fact that 11 Million Nigerians under the age of five are stunted,” Umunna said.
Adewale Ajadi, country director, Synergos also noted that the sector is creating huge investments opportunities and employment generation for women through its recent export initiative.
“We are also helping in creating policies and strategies for states to improve in agriculture,” Ajadi said.
HARRISON EDEH, Abuja
