Flood: Women farmers demand policy reforms, land rights in Cross River

In the flood-hit communities of Abi and Biase Local Government Areas in Cross River State, indigenous women farmers—who make up more than 70% of the region’s agricultural labor force—are losing both their farmlands and livelihoods to climate change. Yet, despite their central role in food production, they remain excluded from critical decision-making platforms shaping agricultural and environmental policy.

This crisis was highlighted during a recent advocacy initiative led by the Women’s Initiative for Self-Actualisation (WISA) in partnership with Green Concern for Development (GREENCODE). Funded by the Urgent Action Fund Africa (Kenya), the initiative drew attention to systemic gender disparities that aggravate food insecurity and climate vulnerability in rural Cross River.

Key Findings:

• Flooding of farmland, disproportionately allocated to women in vulnerable lowland areas, is eroding food security and worsening poverty.
• Women face near-total exclusion from policy planning, with only one female representative typically included in local councils—often without decision-making power.
• Subsidies and seedlings, meant to support smallholder farmers, are often diverted away from rural women and given to political allies.
• Harmful agricultural practices such as bush burning and overuse of chemical fertilisers are increasing climate risks, but women farmers lack access to sustainable alternatives.

The coalition is urging the Cross River State Government to:

• Amend discriminatory land laws to allow women full rights to own and inherit farmland.
• Establish grant and seedling schemes specifically accessible to rural women farmers.
• Incorporate women into agricultural and climate planning via a grassroots advocacy network.
• Enforce the state’s Climate Change Commission mandates, including promoting solar projects and sustainable transport.

Mfon Akpan of WISA remarked that broader funding would allow scale-up of the pilot communities. Meanwhile, GREENCODE’s Bassey Edem emphasized the importance of training women on sustainable practices such as organic farming and mulching to mitigate environmental damage and boost productivity.

As the project wraps up this month, participating women hope their calls for equity will gain traction and outpace the waters that continue to wash away their livelihoods.

Source- Tribune Online

Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
The Cross River case reflects a broader national challenge where women—though indispensable to food systems—remain marginalised in access to resources, markets, and power. Here’s what stakeholders need to consider:

1. Food Systems Are Only as Resilient as Their Most Excluded Contributors
   Women are the backbone of Nigeria’s rural agriculture. Ignoring their needs in climate adaptation and disaster planning jeopardizes entire food systems, not just gender equity.
   → Stakeholder Insight: Governments, NGOs, and donor programs must mainstream gender-resilience metrics in all agricultural and climate interventions.
2. Land Tenure Reform Is a Game-Changer
   The fact that women farm mostly on flood-prone land is a structural issue, not an accident. Without reforming land laws to allow ownership and inheritance, women will remain trapped in marginal zones.
   → Stakeholder Insight: State governments must legalize joint spousal land titles and enforce equitable inheritance laws in line with Nigeria’s National Gender Policy.
3. Political Will Must Match Grassroots Action
   Women-led CSOs like WISA and GREENCODE are already running pilot trainings and policy campaigns. What’s missing is institutional scale-up through public budgets and executive policy commitment.
   → Stakeholder Insight: Development agencies should fund gender-responsive public extension services with women field officers and participatory governance models.
4. Climate-Resilient Farming Must Include Indigenous Women
   Organic farming, mulching, agroforestry, and regenerative practices are sustainable solutions—but without direct training, inputs, and access to markets, they remain out of reach for the women who need them most.
   → Stakeholder Insight: Agritech startups and agri-input firms should create tailored offerings for women smallholders, bundling climate-smart inputs with microfinance and technical support.
5. Infrastructure and Energy Access Are Gender Equity Issues
   The call for solar projects and rural transport solutions isn’t just about emissions—it’s about connectivity, productivity, and inclusion. Access to clean energy and affordable transport directly affects farm output and postharvest losses.
   → Stakeholder Insight: Investors and rural electrification agencies should prioritize women-led farm clusters and cooperatives in infrastructure rollouts.
6. Governance Must Move from Tokenism to Inclusion
   Having one woman on a council to relay messages is not inclusion—it’s symbolic representation. True participation requires that rural women co-design programs and policies.
   → Stakeholder Insight: State and LGA bodies must adopt mandatory gender quotas in agricultural planning committees and climate change response teams.

Conclusion:
Cross River’s women farmers are not just victims of climate change—they are frontline actors who must be empowered to shape Nigeria’s climate-smart food future. Their marginalisation reflects missed opportunities for economic growth, food system stability, and environmental resilience. Stakeholders must act now—from law reform and funding mechanisms to inclusive governance frameworks—to turn advocacy into lasting change.