FG Equips S/South Women Farmers With Climate Change Adaptation

Female farmers selected from the South-South Zone of Nigeria have been trained on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Abubakar, revealed this while speaking at the maiden training workshop in Benin City.
He stated that Nigeria’s agriculture is vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts of climate change, hence the need to build resilience to treat effects of climate in agricultural production.
Abubakar said the workshop, with the theme, “Gender Mainstreaming into Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Women Farmers”, is apt and timely following the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) that was held in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
The minister, who was represented by the Edo State Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Wellington Omoragbon, said the State was chosen as one among the pioneer states to kick-start the series of workshops because it is situated within the rainforest agroecological zones facing ecological challenges due to the impact of climate change.
“Indeed, it is rain-fed dependent. Any change in the weather pattern, in terms of the amount, intensity, duration, affects farmers’ decisions in terms of the crops and inputs as well as other cultural operations in the value chain,” Abubakar said.
He continued that despite having a larger percentage of women in agricultural production, they are still faced with challenges, “especially climate change, access to information and technologies.
“National Gender Policy in Agriculture was approved in 2019 with the thrust hinged on gender equity and equality for optimum productivity in the agricultural sector.
“This, ultimately, would ensure commitment to gender mainstreaming at all levels of the agricultural sector, which is seen as a tool for achieving gender-based reforms and increasing productivity by men and women along all the value chains in the sector,” he said.