Budget, Agric Ministers agree on gender balance for food security

The Minister of Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning, Sen. Abubakar Badugu has reinforced the need for more women involvement in the food system economy planning and implementation through policies initiative strategies. 

Also the Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS), Sen. Abubakar Kyari advocated for more gender balance which he said his ministry has already taken the lead by women inclusiveness in the food system policies planning with ability to track and measure performance through a policy document that was launch in 2019 with the support of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Kyari who was represented by Mrs. Ifeoma Good luck Anyanmu, a Deputy Director in the FMAFS appreciated the positive contribution of IFPRI to women involvement in Agri food system policy which the ministry is already implementing with an assurance it would definitely increase women vioces in the system.

These were the words of the two ministers, Sen. Badugu and Sen Abubakar Kyari on Wednesday in Abuja at a study disemination workshop and policy dialogue organized by IFPRI in partnership with Agricultural Policy Research Network ( APRNet) on Women' Empowerment in Agrifood Governance ( WEAGov)

Speaking on the occasion, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, the economic coordinating Minister said that his ministry would ensure gender balancing in the budget and economic planning as being prioritised in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the country especially in Agri food system saying this would be more achievable with policies backup.

Badugu advised on the need for more vioce for women' involvement in the matters that concerned them through lnternational organizations and Civil Societies till they are properly made inclusive with more numbers in the legislation and executive affairs of the nation saying that their inputs must be well considered in policy initiative for economic use.

Bagudu however wanted women to be more organized in order to be able to attract funds from the 100 billion Agricultural Intervention Fund that had been approved to de-risk agricultural lending to organized farmers saying a lot of challenges like climate change and insecurity have made women more vulnerable from being well captured and position in economy activities.

Earlier, the country program leader, IFPRI, Kwaw Andam, PhD and WEAGov president, Dr. Catherine Ragasa had both stressed the need for gender balancing of women in Agri food activities with their inclusion on matters that concerned them through policies and implementation processes.

Towards achieving this, Kwam Andam said that IFPRI has gone into partnership with FMAFS to produce a gender policy in 2019 that is now going into implementation as a document that can track and measure women involvement and performance in agric business.

Also the study carried out on WEAGov with the funding support of IFPRI in Nigeria according to Dr. Catherine Ragasa showed that there was very low involvement of women in  Agri food system policies and implementation processes, saying that FMAFS should create more opportunities for the citizens in general with special inputs availability to women in the country.

Dr. Ragasa pointed that WEAGov is expected to be used in Nigeria and other countries as pilot frame work of assessment of women' vioce and involvement in matters concerning them especially in Agri food business, expressed happiness at the turn out of people from various organizations at the event.