From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
To ensure food security across Nigeria, not less than 12,000 women have enrolled on the membership of the Nigerian Association Of Women In Agriculture, (NAWIA) to increase food production in the country.
The National President of the association NAWIA, Mrs Ngizan Chahul disclosed this at their 2022 Annual General Meeting, AGM, which was held in March 2023.
Mrs Chahul stated that the association is implementing 12 different projects and programmes in different parts of the country to touch the lives of the smallholder women farmers and the vulnerable in different thematic areas.
She commended Nigerian women for joining NAWIA and taking up the responsibility of producing food to feed the nation saying “No Woman, No Food, No Food, No Nation.”
She noted the association had strengthened its activities in states across the country and established offices in more states to ensure that women were well coordinated and also enjoyed easy access to farm inputs and support to enable them to work better.
According to Mrs Chahul, “last year, the association was able to activate her offices and structures in five states; instead of the usual method, we were operating which entailed moving from the head office to implement projects in the states where the organisation had presence including Kaduna, Niger, Plateau Nasarawa and Cross River. Kwara State was made active early this year in January.
“I am glad to announce also that membership of the association has moved from around 300 in 2012 to over 12,000 presently, with more than 12 different projects and programs implemented by the organisation to touch the lives of the smallholder women and other vulnerable populations across different thematic areas.
“Cited above are a few among the achievements recorded by the association over the past years. We intend to take a look at all we have achieved and then plan on how to grow the association, her membership and its presence across the country, all aimed at touching the lives of more smallholder women farmers in the country.
“And we have our parent Ministries with us to provide guidance and witness as we carry on,” she added.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministries, the General Congress, Board Members, Association Management, State Directors of WIA, State coordinators, staff and officers of the association.
The meeting also observe a minute silence in honour of the life of the founder and immediate past board chairman of the association, Mrs Florence Abeda who was buried recently praying that her vision for the good of the women farmers and youth in the country would not be allowed to die.