AFEX, firm partner to equip female farmers
AFEX and the Kaduna Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Project are empowering farmers, particularly women, in Kaduna State, Nigeria, by providing skills training in best agricultural practices. As part of the WEE initiative, funded by the Bayer Foundation, a sensitization campaign was organized to boost female farmers’ productivity, focusing on addressing the gender gap in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Female farmers in northern Nigeria often produce less per hectare than men due to limited access to inputs, extension services, and financial opportunities.
The campaign, held in Kafanchan, Kaduna, involved partners such as Advantage Health Africa, Healthy Entrepreneurs, and the Jennifer Etuh Foundation, who collaborated to onboard female farmers onto AFEX’s digital platform, WorkBench. The initiative seeks to support 30,000 female farmers by improving access to resources and expanding market opportunities, with an overarching goal of creating more inclusive and sustainable agricultural value chains in Nigeria.
Source: Punch
Expert Review for Stakeholders:
The AFEX and Kaduna WEE Project highlights a significant intervention in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain by addressing the gender disparity in farming. For stakeholders in the agribusiness sector, this initiative emphasizes the importance of empowering women farmers, who are often marginalized in terms of input access, market opportunities, and financial inclusion. Closing this productivity gap can boost Nigeria’s food security and agricultural outputs while promoting economic inclusion.
Public-private partnerships, like the one facilitated by AFEX and its collaborators, are crucial for ensuring that women farmers receive the necessary tools, training, and market access. This initiative leverages modern technology platforms, such as WorkBench, to provide real-time data, training, and market linkages that can help farmers make informed decisions. Stakeholders should consider expanding such models to other regions of Nigeria to improve agricultural efficiency and contribute to sustainable food systems.
