Chime Commends Women For Resilience, Industry

The Governor of Enugu State, Dr Sullivan I. Chime has commended Nigerian women for their resilience and industry in the face of constraints which inhibit the optimal utilization of their capacities to contribute meaningfully to the growth of agriculture in the country.

Chime who made the commendation Monday on the occasion of the official flag off and launching of the 2009 cropping season for the Nigerian women in agriculture in the Southern states of Nigeria held at Okpara Square, Enugu, noted that it is a well­known fact that women contribute about 65 to 75 per cent of farmers engaged in subsistent agricultural activities ranging from production to processing and marketing. His words: “Yet, their greatest hindrance to participating in such lofty programmes is lack of encouragement and economic power. We have gathered here this day as witnesses to the Federal Government’s empowerment of Nigerian women to play active roles in agriculture”, he regretted.

Continuing, Governor Chime further said: “Although this is a programme of the Federal Government, it is, however, being championed by the First Lady of Nigeria and that clearly explains her esteemed presence here today. We thank Her Excellency, Hajiya Yar’ Adua most sincerely for leading this programme to empower our women in agriculture. I urge the wives of Governors to borrow a leaf therefrom and help replicate this in their respective states”.

He, therefore, expressed happiness with the presence, at this occasion, of such agricultural inputs and agro-processing equipment which will be distributed to women groups, ranging from tractors to improved assorted seeds, fertilizers, cassava-processing machines and fish smoking kilns, adding that they will, no doubt, help women farmers in the Southern part of the country to maximize their outputs.

Governor Chime also expressed satisfaction that the Federal Government has graciously subsidized these farming inputs to the tune of 25 per cent while the states will pay 15 per cent, pointing out that women groups that shall benefit from the programme are expected to make a 15 per cent down payment while the remaining 45 per cent will be paid by these beneficiaries over a period of three years.

“I am quite confident that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, through the National Food Reserve Agency and working in collaboration with the states will make this project a huge success. With the FADAMA programme in place now, I know it will be used as the vehicle to implement this initiative and to ensure that the rural women benefit fully from it. I expect that very soon, the Local Government Councils in the country will be involved in this programme”.

According to him, this is a clear manifestation of the Federal and State Governments’ determination to embrace mechanized farming and thereby ensuring food security and improved productivity in agriculture, and called on his colleagues and other well-meaning Nigerians to support the project because if the economic base of the woman is improved, the family welfare is guaranteed.

“Here in Enugu State, our Government acquired and distributed a good number of tractors to our rural farmers while we are in the process of procuring more that will be given to co-operative groups including the women farmers. This is only in keeping with our Government’s policy of maximizing our potentials for sustainable food production which falls within the second thrust of our Four-point agenda that deals with economic expansion and employment. This is our objective which, coincidentally, agrees with the goal of this programme that seeks to empower our women farmers in both urban and rural areas”.

He used the occasion to pay tributes to the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr.. Sayyadi Abba Ruma as well as the Minister of State, Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze for their genuine efforts to take agriculture to the next level in Nigeria.

Also in her brief speech, the wife of the Enugu state governor , Mrs Clara Chime, regretted that despite the tremendous role played by women in the agricultural sector, they continue to face a number of obstacles especially in Southern states such as ineligibility to claim land from their deceased husbands, allocation of marginal lands to women while better ones are reserved for men, as well as lack of access to better technology of production and processing, among others.

“We are happy that the Federal Government of Nigeria and in particular the First Lady, Her Excellency, Hajiya (Dr.) Turai Umaru Yar’Adua has since recognised some of these challenges, hence the launching of the Women in Agriculture Programme here in Enugu”

First Lady of Nigeria and the wife of the president, Hajiya [Dr] Turai Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua flagged off/launching of the 2009 cropping season at Okpara Square, Enugu.