Anambra Women Farmers Beg Soludo to Increase Agricultural Budget, Spending Accountability

By Praise Chinecherem

The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Anambra State chapter, has called for increased budgetary allocations and improved accountability in agricultural spending to strengthen food security and advance the economic empowerment of women farmers.

The organisation made the call during its national campaign, themed “Women Farmers’ Voices to Action,” held on Wednesday in Awka, Anambra State.

The campaign seeks to amplify the concerns of smallholder women farmers and secure concrete commitments from government and development partners on agricultural policies, budgeting and implementation.

Speaking at the event, SWOFON Anambra State Coordinator, Mrs Georgina Akunyiba, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to constructive engagement with the state government and relevant stakeholders to promote gender-responsive agricultural budgeting.

Akunyiba stressed that women farmers’ priorities must extend beyond consultations and become visible in government budgets, programmes, implementation and measurable outcomes.

“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.

She urged the government to strengthen public investment in agriculture, with particular attention to the needs of smallholder women farmers, who play a significant role in food production, rural livelihoods and local economic activities.

According to her, the call was informed by findings from the IBP–SWOFON Impact Assessment (2019–2025), which examined SWOFON’s contributions to budget advocacy, access to productive resources, institutional strengthening and women farmers’ empowerment across five focal states, including Anambra.

IBP Calls for Timely Release of Agricultural Funds

Country Director of the International Budget Partnership (IBP), Dr Yinka Babalola, called for precise budgetary provisions and timely releases of funds allocated to smallholder women farmers.

Babalola, who was represented by Programme Coordinator Lilian Ibe, described smallholder women farmers as the backbone of Nigeria’s food system amid growing challenges.

He urged the government to address gaps in budget execution and resource delivery to ensure that agricultural allocations translate into tangible support for women farmers.

“We are asking that budget lines supporting smallholder women farmers be precise, releases be timely—not just budget approvals. Procurement must happen, and execution must continue all the way through to the last mile,” he said.

He further identified weaknesses in financial tracking and delivery systems as a major barrier preventing women farmers from accessing resources intended for them.

“What often stands between a woman farmer and the resources meant for her is the inadequacy of systems that follow that money all the way to where she can access and utilise it. That is a solvable problem. We are asking you to help us solve it,” Babalola added.

Stakeholders Pledge Support for Women Farmers

Representatives of the Anambra State Government pledged continued support for women farmers and the advancement of agricultural development in the state.

Those represented at the engagement included the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Ben Chuks Odoemena; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Esther Onyekesi; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Chinyere Nwabachili.

Other representatives included officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Women Affairs, and Budget and Economic Planning, as well as the Head of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nnewi North, Mr Cajetan Ajanobi.

The State Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mrs Chito Onuzulike, reaffirmed the agency’s partnership with SWOFON through agro-processing and women’s entrepreneurship initiatives under its Women in Self Employment Programme (WISE-P).

Similarly, Chika Orji of the SWOFON National Secretariat reiterated the organisation’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of smallholder women farmers across Nigeria.

The engagement also featured the launch of a policy brief highlighting the need for gender-responsive agricultural policies, increased budgetary allocations and improved access to productive resources and services for women farmers.

The organisers said the recommendations were aimed at strengthening women’s contributions to food security and ensuring that government agricultural investments deliver meaningful results at the community level.

Hashtags

#