Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Anambra State chapter, has called on government at all levels to institutionalise the participation of women farmers in agricultural budgeting and policy implementation as part of efforts to strengthen food security across the country.
The call was made Wednesday during the launch of the group’s policy brief, with the theme, “Voice to Action”, held in Awka, where stakeholders from government agencies, civil society organisations and the agricultural sector discussed ways to improve support for smallholder women farmers.
The launch sought to present key findings from SWOFON’s policy brief, amplify the priorities of women farmers, and secure commitments from government and relevant stakeholders towards adopting gender-responsive agricultural policies, increasing budgetary allocations and improving access to farming resources and services.
A presentation on the SWOFON policy brief, reviewed findings from the organisation’s work between 2019 and 2025 in Anambra, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Oyo states.
According to the presentation, the initiative significantly improved women’s participation in state budget processes, with farmers attending budget hearings and submitting annual Charters of Demand. However, the report found that while all five states acknowledged the charters, only Jigawa had fully institutionalised women’s participation within its budget process.
The report also identified weak capital budget execution, inadequate agricultural funding below the 10 per cent benchmark and poor delivery of services as major challenges limiting the impact of government interventions on women farmers.
The presentation stressed that the next phase of advocacy should focus on tracking whether women’s priorities are reflected in approved budgets, funded, implemented and translated into improved access to productive resources at the community level.
In her remarks, Country Director of the International Budget Partnership (IBP), Dr. Olayinka Babalola, represented by Mrs Lilian Ibeh regretted that women constitute about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce and contribute up to 80 per cent of the country’s food production, yet have historically been excluded from critical budgeting decisions affecting agriculture.
She said the partnership between IBP and SWOFON had helped change that narrative across five states by enabling women farmers to participate in budget meetings, submit annual Charters of Demand and engage more directly with government planning processes.
“We can now state with evidence that this idea has worked. Across five states, women farmers now attend budget meetings that once excluded them,” she said, reaffirming IBP’s commitment to accountability and data-driven advocacy.
The State Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Engr Chito Onuzulike harped on the need for SWOFON members to sustain their advocacy while embracing mechanised agriculture to improve productivity beyond traditional farming methods.
Also speaking, the Head of Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nnewi North Local Government Area, Mr Ajanobi Cajetan, said he was encountering SWOFON for the first time but was impressed by the organisation’s work.
He pledged to support the group’s activities and engage the local government chairman on possible areas of collaboration, adding that preparations for the next farming budget cycle would begin soon.
A representative of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Obianamma Orji said the ministry had maintained a cordial relationship with SWOFON and would continue supporting initiatives that promote women’s participation in budget processes.
Earlier, the SWOFON Anambra State Coordinator, Mrs Georgina Akunyiba pledged the group’s commitment to ensuring that women’s priorities are reflected not only in consultations, but in budgets, programmes, implementation and results.
She however called for stronger and more accountable public investment in agriculture in the State, with particular attention on priorities of smallholder women farmers who contribute significantly to food production, rural livelihoods and local economic activity.
According to her, the call followed findings from the IBP–SWOFON Impact Assessment, 2019–2025, which examined SWOFON’s contribution to budget advocacy, access to productive resources, institutional strengthening and women farmer empowerment across five focal states, including Anambra.
“The assessment provides an important message for Anambra State: women farmers are increasingly participating in public budgeting and policy processes, but participation must now translate into identifiable budget commitments, implementation and tangible services at community level,” she said.
Underscoring the essence of the engagement, Akunyiba said stakeholders would present key findings and recommendations from SWOFON’s Policy Brief and amplify the voices and priorities of smallholder women farmers on agricultural policy, budgeting, and implementation.
“It is also to engage government and other key stakeholders to secure commitments towards adopting and implementing gender-responsive agricultural policies, adequate budgetary allocations, and improved delivery of resources and services to smallholder women farmers,” she said.
Akunyiba said IBP’s support had enabled SWOFON members to receive training in gender-responsive budgeting, charter development, budget analysis and advocacy, while acknowledging that sustained institutional reforms would be necessary to overcome the structural barriers confronting women farmers.
During a panel discussion, the Ekwusigo Local Government SWOFON Coordinator, Mrs Ngozi Obiajulu, said the organisation had benefited from SMEDAN’s support through capacity-building and other interventions.
