Neglected pillars of Nigerian agriculture

Wherever one goes in Nigeria, from the north to
the south, rural small holder farmers produce
over 70% of the total food crops. Over two thirds
of women in these areas are actively involved in
agriculture.
They grow all kinds of food crops like vegetables,
beans, cassava, potatoes, Hungary rice (acha)
and so on.
In some communities, majority of the men have
moved to the cities looking for greener pasture
either as government job seekers or construction
workers, taxi drivers, Okada riders, security men
in companies, electricians, the list is endless. Their
wives, children, sisters and even mothers in
some cases are employed in the agricultural
sector in the rural areas.
Women farmers are the pillars of African
agriculture. According to the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United
Nations, majority of women in Africa are
engaged in the agricultural sector and produce
nearly 90 percent of food that we consume in the
continent.
However, the major hindrance to women's
empowerment in Nigeria is their lack of access to
decision making processes, full participation in
grassroots governance, as well as their limited
access to Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES)
input distribution.
What also slows women efficiency and
productivity is lack of access to agro loans. Loans
are important for securing fertilizer, improved
varieties of seeds and other technology for
farming. Most women farmers are not able to
obtain loans without a male guarantor or without
going through their husbands. This is due to
institutional barriers and gender constraints.
The federal government recently announced a
N15 billion agricultural loan scheme for farmers to
enhance productivity in the sector. Vice President
Namadi Sambo, announcing the facility said the
loan scheme will be given to farmers at single-
digit interest rates. According to him, the funds
will be handled by the Bank of Agriculture for
onward disbursement to farmers.
Laudable as the boost is, key questions remain
critical: How will women who constitute the
backbone of the rural labour force, access this
N15 billion agricultural loan scheme? What will be
the paper qualification in terms of collateral for
this category of farmers to access the fund?