A Professor of Agricultural Economics at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Taibat Moji Yusuf, has stated that with an estimated 140 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, coordinated action across multiple sectors has become an urgent necessity.
Delivering the institution’s 23rd Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday, titled “Empowering Women Farmers in Nigeria: Closing the Gender Gap for Agricultural Transformation and Food Security,” Yusuf called for sweeping reforms to dismantle the structural barriers hindering women’s participation in the agricultural sector.
According to her, closing the gender gap in agriculture is not merely a matter of fairness, but a strategic imperative for transforming Nigeria’s agrarian economy and strengthening national food security.
She emphasized that addressing the broader challenges of poverty and hunger requires agricultural policies to be closely integrated with national poverty-reduction strategies, noting that sustainable food security cannot be achieved in isolation from employment, education, and healthcare.
Drawing on more than three decades of field-based research, Yusuf stressed that empowering women farmers is vital to boosting agricultural productivity and reducing poverty nationwide.
She urged the government to reform inheritance laws to guarantee women the right to own and inherit land regardless of their marital status, while also promoting joint land ownership for married couples.
She noted that discriminatory land tenure practices remain a primary obstacle preventing women farmers from accessing credit, agricultural inputs, and other productive resources, which highlights the need to expand gender-inclusive financing through microcredit schemes that do not require land as collateral.
Financial institutions, she added, must design credit products tailored to women farmers’ needs and leverage digital platforms to reach those in remote communities.
The professor also advocated comprehensive reforms in agricultural extension services, including the recruitment of more female agents, the introduction of flexible training schedules that accommodate household responsibilities, and the deployment of mobile advisory services in local languages.
She noted that strategic investments in rural water supply, electricity, and childcare infrastructure would alleviate the burden of unpaid domestic labor, allowing women more time to focus on farming and agribusiness.
Additionally, she recommended expanding access to mechanized processing equipment and labor-saving technologies designed specifically for female farmers.
Highlighting the importance of adult literacy, vocational training, and cooperatives, Yusuf stated that these initiatives enhance women’s managerial capacity, technology adoption, and collective bargaining power.
She championed policies that encourage income diversification through off-farm employment, agro-processing, and rural entrepreneurship, noting that modern transport links, power infrastructure, and telecommunications will build resilience against environmental and market shocks.
She further called on both the public and private sectors to expand contract farming and financing arrangements through public-private partnerships, ensuring dependable markets, essential inputs, and capital.
She underscored the need for capital investments in post-harvest storage, cold-chain logistics, and market information systems to curb post-harvest losses and maximize farmers’ profit margins.
Yusuf urged the mainstreaming of eco-friendly practices particularly moringa-based bio-organic fertilizers through extension networks and soil management initiatives, while advising local communities to cultivate moringa to sustain organic fertilizer production.
She concluded by appealing for dedicated budgetary allocations toward gender-responsive agricultural initiatives, backed by rigorous monitoring systems to ensure measurable impact.