UN Women, IOFS Say Access to Land for Women, Key to Nigeria’s Economic Growth

UN Women, IOFS Say Access to Land for Women, Key to Nigeria’s Economic Growth

By: Michael Mike

The UN Women and the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) have advocated expanded inclusion of women access to land and other developmental infrastructure in the Cassava Value Chain production for economic growth of the nation.

They made the position know at the National Stakeholder Debriefing & Consultation Meeting on Cassava Value Chain, jointly organised in Abuja to review progress and lessons learned within the cassava value chain.

The UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong in her submission at the meeting, emphasised that women play a critical role in the cassava value chain but have been marginalised in production infrastructure hence the need to address the trend.

She said: “Today, we focus on cassava, a crop that is not only climate-resilient but also central to women’s livelihoods. Women are the backbone of cassava processing, yet they bear the greatest weight of climate change and unpaid care work. By turning Cassava’s potential into opportunity, we can shift heavy labour into profitable entrepreneurship, create decent green jobs, and drive inclusive, sustainable growth for our communities and our country.”

She added that: “Yet the reality is that women in cassava value chains remain trapped in low-income, labor-intensive roles with limited returns. They lack access to improved seedlings, modern processing equipment, credit facilities, and secure markets, factors that reduce efficiency and limit their ability to scale. In many cases, women process cassava manually, spending long hours in unsafe conditions with minimal financial gain. These barriers reinforce poverty cycles and exclude women from the higher-value segments of the cassava economy.

“This initiative seeks to change that story. By equipping women with climate-smart technologies, access to microfinance and cooperatives, and linkages to formal markets, we will open pathways for women to move from subsistence to enterprise. With targeted training, supportive policies, and investments in infrastructure such as mechanized processing centers and renewable energy solutions, women can become leaders in the cassava value chain—driving innovation, resilience, and economic empowerment.

“This initiative recognizes that resilience is not possible when women spend up to 12 hours daily on unpaid care work. That is why we are combining skills development with investments in energy, water, and time-saving infrastructure, enabling women to be more productive, earn more, and expand their opportunities.”

She further said that: “At UN Women, we know from experience that when women farmers are supported with the right tools, policies, and resources, they lift entire households and communities. Through this partnership with the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), we reaffirm our mandate to ensure women are not just beneficiaries, but leaders in food security and climate resilience.

“Our collective call to action is clear: let us work together to expand women’s access to climate-smart technologies, finance, and markets; to strengthen the policies that recognize and protect their roles; and to create green jobs that secure a more equitable and resilient future for Nigeria.”

The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi who stressed that women were vital to agricultural development in the society emphasised the need for collaboration of all stakeholders in ensuring inclusiveness of women in key decision making in the Cassava Value Chain.

On his part the Lead Consultant in the Islamic Organisation for Food Security, IOFS, Dr. William Agyei-Manu Identified actionable strategies to strengthen food security, enhance gender inclusion, and promote sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.

He said: “For IOFS, it is a beginning of a new phase of joint action. We are fully committed to: Supporting national partners in developing gender-responsive cassava strategies and policy frameworks that integrate women and youth at every stage of the value chain; Facilitating partnerships between government institutions, research centers, and financial entities to improve access to technology, finance, and infrastructure; Investing in capacity building and common-userprocessing facilities, ensuring women farmers and processors can move from subsistence to entrepreneurship; Leveraging regional cooperation through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to share innovations, strengthen trade, and replicate successful models across member states.”

The Representatives from Women Affairs Ministry, the NEXIM bank, GIZ and FCT Women Affairs Secretariat who gave goodwill messages all affirmed that the inclusion of women and accessibility to technology and infrastructure in the cassava value chain would greatly reduce poverty and develop the country.

UN Women, IOFS Say Access to Land for Women, Key to Nigeria’s Economic Growth