By Stephen Adeleye
Women farmers in Kogi State have been described as the backbone of food security and rural prosperity as the Federal Government/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) commemorated the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
The event, held in Lokoja under the theme “Celebrating Women Farmers: Driving Food Security, Inclusive Agri-food Systems and Rural Prosperity”, brought together hundreds of Women Entrepreneurs, Producers, Processors and Markers of Rice and Cassava commodities, across the five benefiting LGAs.
Other stakeholders include government officials, lawmakers, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, CSOs, and representatives of financial institutions.
Delivering her welcome address, Dr Stella Adejoh, State Project Coordinator, FGN/IFAD-VCDP Kogi, said the UN declaration of 2026 was a historic recognition of women’s indispensable role in agriculture.
“In Kogi State and within VCDP, women are not just beneficiaries. They are producers, processors, aggregators, marketers, innovators and leaders,” she said.
Adejoh noted that across the five VCDP LGAs of Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Kabba-Bunu, Lokoja and Olamaboro, women have moved from subsistence farming to agribusiness.
According to her, in rice, women have adopted improved parboiling, milling, packaging and branding to raise quality and income. In cassava, they are producing gari, high-quality flour and odorless fufu for expanding markets.
She disclosed that 3,256 women have so far been supported in the Rice and Cassava Value Chains through access to inputs, productive assets, and market linkages.
A key driver of the impact, she added, is the Gender Action Learning System (GALS), which promotes dialogue on household responsibilities and women’s participation in decisions on production and income.
She said Empowerment Learning Centres are also equipping women with skills in agribusiness, financial literacy, nutrition and entrepreneurship.
“Women are further leveraging digital tools for market information and weather forecasts, and adopting climate-smart practices such as soil and water management, homestead gardening and crop diversification to build resilience.
“Through VCDP, women have gained access to labor-saving processing equipment and are moving from small-scale production into aggregation and distribution,” Dr. Adejoh said.
“The simple truth is: when a woman farmer is empowered, the benefits extend to her household, community, and the wider economy,” she said.
Despite the gains, she listed persistent challenges: limited access to land, affordable finance, extension services, mechanization, storage, and reliable energy.
She urged that the International Year must go beyond ceremony to trigger deliberate policies and investments.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security,
Hon. Timothy Ojomah, commended the State Project Coordinator for her leadership and urged women farmers to see themselves as representing the entire state, not just the 5 VCDP LGAs.
He emphasized sustainability and called on the trained women to serve as “trainers of trainers” to extend knowledge to the remaining 16 LGAs.
He noted that over 70% of success in community mobilization and household well-being relies on women.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the knowledge and investments from VCDP do not go to waste and pledged continued support Gov. Ahmed Ododo’s administration..
He reaffirmed Gov. Ahmed Ododo’s administration commitment to prioritizing women and youth empowerment across the state.
Dr George Bello Ogirima, Managing Director, Kogi ADP, called women the “engine room” of agriculture, contributing about 65% of farm labor in Nigeria.
He urged stronger branding and market linkages so that women’s products can compete in urban supermarkets and export markets.
Rt. Hon. Comfort Egwaba, Deputy Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly; and House Committee Chairman on Agriculture, Hon. Seyi Bello, reaffirmed the Assembly’s 100% support for agriculture, noting that in many communities women already lead farming.
“This is not just about gender. It is about livelihoods and families,” she said.
Stakeholders stressed the need to scale up the train-the-trainer model to all 21 LGAs; strengthen market access for women-led agribusinesses; prioritize gender-responsive policies, financing and infrastructure; and ensure sustainability of VCDP interventions beyond the current 5 LGAs.
Financial institutions were urged to design flexible loan products for women and to the private sector to build stronger contracts and market partnerships with women-led enterprises.
The Chairperson of the Women Farmer’s Group Network, Mrs Joy Yusuf, said VCDP has transformed lives of Kogi women farmers through various support, value addition and empowerment programmes.
“FGN/IFAD-VCDP has boosted food security, income and nutrition for women in 5 Kogi LGAs through training, processing houses, aggregation centers and tricycles,” she said.
She urged government to expand the programme to more local governments and communities.
The FGN/IFAD-Assisted Value Chain Development Programme is implemented in 9 states to improve incomes and food security for rural households engaged in rice and cassava.
The event featured award presentations to outstanding farmers across several categories, including Best Woman Producer, Processor, and Marketer for both rice and cassava, among others.
Mrs Rafat Onize Ahmed was named overall best Agripreneur champion.
Dignitaries also toured the exhibition of rice and cassava value-added products.
