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Addressing Food Sustainability in Nigeria Through Women Farmers

Addressing Food Sustainability in Nigeria Through Women Farmers
By: Victor Emejuiwe
As Nigeria grapples with the food shortage across the country, it is now time to re-think the pivotal role of women in promoting food sustainability in Nigeria. Women are natural beings with an innate potential to conceive, deliver and nurture. This potential is not restrictive to biological cycle of life but it extends to all spheres of life including political, social and economic life.
In almost all communities in Nigeria, women constitute a major percentage of active farmers. Women in rural communities have been able to combine strength, zeal and dexterity in production of farm inputs that contributes to the survival and sustainability of the Homefront. Most times the women generate income from the produce of their farms by actively engaging in market days trading activities. It is however worrisome that despite the huge population of women farmers in Nigeria, their impact for the economic sustainability of Nigeria through food production is yet to be felt.
A lot of factors have contributed to stifling the potentials of women in sustainable food production in Nigeria. Some of those factors are both social, cultural, economic and political. In specific terms, the land ownership system in Nigeria does not really favor the female gender, as most families bequeath inheritance of landed property to male rather than women. As a result of this most women are given portions of land to farm out of benevolent gestures other than as a right of ownership.
This scenario has limited women farmers to become just subsistent farmers. Other factors limiting women farmers in Nigeria can also be traced to lack of support from government. Women has limited access to resources compared to their male folks and this makes it difficult for them to compete in the Agric-business economy.
The lack of resources serves as a limitation to accessing modern farm tools that would enable them go into large scale production, where-as these tools can be made easily available through loans to their male counterparts. There is also the dearth of knowledge on large scale farming amongst women farmers and this have restrained them to subsistent farming. Another inhibiting factor, is the cultural limitations that confines women with reproductive and domestic roles. This is even worse when there is lack of support from the home front to balance the economic outputs of women vis-à-vis their reproductive functions coupled with their domestic responsibilities. This calls for serious attention.
To address some of the limitations highlighted above, there is need to review the provision of some existing policies that support women contribution to food sustainability. The national policy on Agriculture aims at attaining self-sustainable growth in all the sub-sectors of agriculture and the structural transformation necessary for the overall socio-economic development of the country as well as the improvement in the quality of life of Nigerians.
To achieve this policy the female gender must be strategically empowered to contribute to food sustainability in Nigeria. This is also in line with the goal of the national policy on Gender in Agriculture. The agriculture gender policy is to promote and ensure the adoption of gender sensitive and responsive approaches towards engendering plans and programmes in such a way that men and women have access to and control of productive resources and facilities to bridge gender gaps. The policy document will enhance the platform to build an agri-business ecosystem to meet both domestic and foreign demands to achieve food security and accelerated development.
There is no other better time to implement these policies than now! Therefore, in line with the strategies contained in these policies, the government should take the following practical steps. First and fir most, it should collaborate with stakeholders to identify the gender limiting factors restraining women from participating in large scale farming and set-up a mechanism to mainstream gender equality in Agri-business. Secondly, through an inter-sectoral collaboration, government should allocate resources across sectors that would render support to women in agriculture.
Thirdly, there is need to implement gender sensitive laws, policies and regulations as well as build the capacity of stakeholders to abide by the guiding principles that provides for equitable access to women farmers.
Fourthly, for women to be involved in large scale production and commercial agriculture, women farmers should be granted subsidies on agricultural products. In essence modern farming tools for mechanized farming should be provided at subsidized rates to women farmers. Fifthly, the federal and state government should provide soft loans with low interest rates and favorable re-payment plans to women in agriculture this would enable them get easy access to resources
Finally, to achieve the above, women farmers association should be mainstreamed in every policy decisions of government, they should be given the opportunity to contribute to government policies, actions and implementations. All these and more would contribute immensely to achieve food sustainability in Nigeria
Victor Emejuiwe
Monitoring & Evaluation /Strategic Communication Manager
Writes from Centre for Social Justice, Abuja
08068262366
Addressing Food Sustainability in Nigeria Through Women Farmers
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Clash erupts between police, horse riders near Bayero University Kano

Clash erupts between police, horse riders near Bayero University Kano
By: Zagazola Makama
A violent clash broke out on Saturday between a group of horse riders and personnel of the Nigerian Police Force in the Rimin Gata area, opposite Bayero University Kano (New Site).
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident, which occurred at about 4:50 p.m., on Sunday involved a surveillance team from the Rijiyar Zaki Division of the Kano State Police Command.
It was gathered that the confrontation followed a tip-off received by the police, alerting them to an unauthorised horse race taking place in the area.
The informant had reportedly warned that the race could degenerate into criminal activity, including phone snatching and possible fatalities.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the surveillance team moved to the location to disperse the riders, which led to resistance and a physical altercation.
Eyewitnesses said the scene became tense as officers attempted to arrest some of the horse riders, who in turn protested what they described as heavy-handedness by the police.
Sources said normalcy was later restored, and no fatalities were recorded. However, it remains unclear if any arrests were made.
The Kano State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Clash erupts between police, horse riders near Bayero University Kano
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Whistleblower recounts ordeal after exposing drug trafficker in Kano

Whistleblower recounts ordeal after exposing drug trafficker in Kano
By: Zagazola Makama
A young whistleblower has come forward with a detailed account of alleged harassment, detention, and intimidation he faced after exposing a suspected drug trafficker, Sulaiman Dan Wawu, in Kano State.
The incident, which began in December 2022, involved multiple arrests, prolonged court appearances, and alleged violations of his fundamental rights, despite his role in alerting the public to the arrest of Dan Wawu with 500 cartons of Tramadol.
The whistleblower, who spoke under anonymity due to safety concerns, said the situation began after he posted news of Dan Wawu’s arrest on TikTok – a post that gained over 41,000 views. The viral post, which followed a similar disclosure by Police Spokesman SP Abdullahi Kiyawa on Facebook, allegedly provoked backlash from the suspect and his associates.
“Though I had no personal connection to Dan Wawu, the day after I posted the video, a man named Abba Abdullahi came to my area in Kwankwaso, claiming to be from the CID. He accused me of buying a stolen phone and insisted I follow him to Farm Center,” the whistleblower said.
“Instead of Farm Center, I was taken to the Rapid Response Team (RRT) cell, where I spent three days. Each day, Dan Wawu, his wife, and another associate, Abdullahi Amdaz, came to see me. I was tortured in their presence. They claimed I had defamed them on TikTok.”
After being taken before a magistrate at the PRP Court under Judge Nura Yusuf Ahmad, the complainant was returned to the CID on remand. He later appeared in court where the formal charge was read: defamation and public misinformation for stating that “Dan Wawu was a drug trafficker” on social media.
The prosecution alleged that over 41,000 people had viewed the TikTok video and that radio stations had also aired the case. The suspect’s wife reportedly gave a media interview accusing the whistleblower of damaging her husband’s reputation.
The judge remanded the whistleblower to prison for five days before he was granted bail under six strict conditions, including the provision of two civil servants of Grade Level 12 or above, endorsement by a ward head, and an undertaking to refrain from using social media or any media platform.
Later, the whistleblower alleged further intimidation. “Abba Abdullahi, who earlier arrested me, called me and my elder brother outside court. He video-called Dan Wawu, who was then in Qatar, and forced me to delete two TikTok accounts with 87,000 and 19,000 followers,” he said.
He claimed three of his SIM cards were seized – the ones linked to his TikTok and email accounts – and was warned against SIM swapping or returning to social media.
Despite this, the trial dragged on for 11 to 13 months. “Even though the court was aware that Dan Wawu had been arrested with drugs, he and his wife never showed up in court,” he said.
One day, he was re-arrested by Abba Abdullahi on the claim that he had violated bail conditions. He was detained at CID for two days before being transferred to prison, where he spent 38 days during Ramadan in 2023, eventually regaining his freedom on the 29th day of fasting.
At the peak of the trial, he was reportedly pressured by the prosecutor, Aliyu Abideen, to swear an oath in court to prove his innocence. He rejected the condition, citing Islamic jurisprudence, which limits such oaths to civil or financial disputes – not criminal cases involving narcotics.
“In Maliki jurisprudence, oaths are only valid in financial matters, not cases involving someone caught with illegal drugs,” he said, quoting a Maliki legal verse.
Eventually, after the prosecution failed to present evidence or secure testimony from Dan Wawu, the case lost momentum. Meanwhile, Dan Wawu, who was arrested and arraigned at the Federal High Court on drug trafficking charges, reportedly fled with his wife and has since been at large.
“Now the entire world, not just 41,000 people, knows he was caught with drugs. His disgrace is from God. He spent nearly 50 days in prison before escaping,” the whistleblower said.
Whistleblower recounts ordeal after exposing drug trafficker in Kano
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Army, DSS-backed hybrid forces kill 45 bandits in Niger gun battle

Army, DSS-backed hybrid forces kill 45 bandits in Niger gun battle
By: Zagazola Makama
The troops of the Nigerian Army and hybrid forces, with critical intelligence support from the Department of State Services (DSS), have neutralised no fewer than 45 bandits during a fierce gunfight in Iburu village, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, in what appears to be a major success in Nigeria’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts,
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the joint operation was launched on Friday evening following intelligence that a large number of terrorists riding on motorcycles were advancing to launch coordinated attacks on Iburu and neighbouring communities.
According to the sources, the DSS intercepted early signals of the planned movement and quickly passed the alert to troops who had been on standby in the general area.
“The terrorists were said to have split into smaller columns, attempting to encircle the village under the cover of dusk, but were ambushed by the troops who engaged them in a sustained firefight that lasted several hours,” one source said.
The troops who returned to the scene after the exchange of gunfire confirmed counting at least 40 dead bodies of the bandits, while dozens of motorcycles used by the attackers were reportedly destroyed.
Two members of the hybrid forces fighting alongside the troops paid the supreme price, while four others were evacuated with serious gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at a public hospital in Minna, the state capital.
Friday’s clash is the latest in a series of counter-offensives launched by security forces to decimate terrorists and secure communities across Niger State, especially in the volatile Shiroro-Munya axis which has become a stronghold for various criminal groups.
In April, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Bashir Adeniyi, raised the alarm over escalating terrorist activity around the Babanna border area of Niger State.
Adeniyi had revealed that Customs officers narrowly escaped an ambush by terrorists after intercepting 500 jerrycans of petrol allegedly being smuggled to insurgents operating within the state and across the border.
Friday’s success point to the importance of synergy between intelligence services and ground forces in disrupting terrorist logistics and operational movements across the North Central region.
The proactive engagement by DSS, coupled with swift tactical response by the military, is beginning to shift the operational advantage in favour of state forces.
Army, DSS-backed hybrid forces kill 45 bandits in Niger gun battle
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