The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering women farmers with the resources, skills and opportunities needed to improve productivity, strengthen food security and contribute to economic development.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, stated this while speaking at the commemoration of the International Year of Women Farmers in Ogun State, organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Federal Government and the Ogun State Government through the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) held at the OGADEP Training Hall, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Lydia Fajohunbo, Owotomo said the celebration provided an opportunity to recognise the enormous contributions of women to food production, processing, marketing and the broader agricultural value chain, while addressing the challenges limiting their full participation in the sector.

He said the celebration was aimed at raising awareness of the critical role women play in agrifood systems and encouraging policies and investments that would address barriers such as limited access to land, finance, agricultural technology, extension services and education.

The Commissioner assured that the Ogun State Government would continue to promote policies and programmes that create opportunities for women farmers to increase their productivity, improve their livelihoods and contribute more significantly to the State's food security agenda.

Owotomo explained that programmes such as the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) and the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) were creating opportunities for women to participate more meaningfully in agricultural production, processing, value addition, storage and market access.

He therefore urged women farmers to embrace innovation, improved technologies, climate-smart farming practices, value addition and cooperative development to enhance their productivity and income.

The Commissioner noted that empowering women farmers was not only a matter of inclusion, but also an important strategy for strengthening food production, reducing poverty and building resilient rural communities.

In his goodwill message, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Waliu Owode, said the Ogun State House of Assembly had pledged stronger policy support for women farmers as the State joined the global community in celebrating the International Year of Women Farmers.

Owode noted that women constitute a significant proportion of smallholder farmers and make substantial contributions to food production through crop cultivation and livestock farming.

Speaking on the significance of the celebration, Gender, Youth and Nutrition Specialist, Country Programme Advisory Team, IFAD Nigeria, Saudat Zahradeen, emphasised the need to move beyond celebrating women farmers to creating practical opportunities that would enable them to thrive.

Zahradeen noted that empowering women farmers was essential not only for gender equality, but also for strengthening food security, improving rural livelihoods and building resilient food systems.

She said the International Year of Women Farmers provided an important platform for government, development partners, private-sector actors and communities to strengthen investments in women and ensure that agricultural programmes respond to their specific needs.

In her remarks, the Acting State Coordinator of VCDP, Mrs. Abiola Sobukola, said the celebration provided stakeholders with a unique opportunity to recognise the critical role of women in agriculture and take deliberate action towards addressing the barriers that continue to limit their full potential.

Sobukola noted that the celebration reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal and Ogun State Governments, IFAD and implementing partners to strengthening women's participation in agriculture and ensuring that the benefits of agricultural development are inclusive, sustainable and accessible to women farmers across the State.

The State Project Coordinator, SAPZ, Mr. Ibrahim Busi, said the celebration provided an opportunity to recognise the critical role women play in agriculture while strengthening efforts to integrate them into Ogun State's emerging agro-industrialisation ecosystem.

Busi explained that SAPZ was designed not merely to increase agricultural production, but to transform agriculture from predominantly primary production into a more integrated, commercially viable and sustainable agro-industrial system.

He added that the programme was strengthening linkages among farmers, processors, aggregators, markets, infrastructure and private-sector investors to create greater opportunities across the agricultural value chain.

The highlight of the celebration, which also featured a panel discussion, was the presentation of cash prizes and plaques to outstanding women farmers across various agricultural value chains in recognition of their exceptional contributions and achievements.