A group of Igbo women has tabled a request before the Governors of the five states of the Southwast zone, asking each of them to provide 200 hectares of land, making a total of 1,000 hectares for commercial farming.
The women under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) said that they want to set up farm clusters across the zone which would engage about 50,000 women in commercial farming.
It also announced its plan to hold a two-day agro-export summit to educate and enlighten women on the export of farm produce, and make them become more innovative in their agribusiness.
President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, and the Director of Media and Publicity , Odoziaku Nonye Aduba, outlined these plans in a press statement they jointly signed, made available to the media in Umuahia weekend,
IWA explained that by engaging 50,000 in commercial farming per annun across the five states of the Southeast zone, it would have a multiplier effect of generating additional 20, 000 new jobs in each state every year.
The group said that the agro-export summit scheduled for October 31, 2024 at Universal Hotel, Independence Layout, Enugu was aimed at boosting food security and enhance the growth of agribusiness among women in the South East.
“The agro-summit will help to improve the livelihoods of women in agribusiness either through growing business revenue for women entrepreneurs, producers and job creation for women across the agriculture value chain”, the statement said.
IWA explained that the summit “is based on a challenge fund model, with a few reforms to address fundamental barriers that limit women’s access to finance”.
It would also examine the issue of “production of suitable food crops to meet the needs and changing taste of the growing population as well as to increase the quality and efficiency of producing the major export crops as demanded by the world market”.
“The business models will also facilitate women to take advantage of economic opportunities by upgrading their current roles or taking on new roles as well as generate innovations in practices and processes that will create a more inclusive value chain.”
The women group noted that African women “are integral part of the agriculture sector” hence the need to empower Igbo women to be self-reliant and depend less on their husbands for economic survival.
It said: “IWA yearns to obtain attention to support women in agribusiness, not only increasing the livelihoods of the vendors, workers and suppliers in a particular trade, but to support women in manufacturing, and exportation of farm produce that form modern practices, to create all-inclusive value chain”.
The summit which would involve no fewer than 50 delegates from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States, would attract a number of dignitaries including Macpherson Aideloje Fred-Iloegben, (MGIT) Regional Coordinator Nigeria Export Promotion Council, South East Region.
The Acting Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, Umuahia, Dr Godwin Asumugha; Prof J Chidozie Chukwuokolo; and Ifeoma Uzo-Okpala, Executive Director, ED, Large Enterprise Bank of Industry, were also listed among the participants.
To be chaired by a former VIce-Chancellor of the Imo State University, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, the summit would have a former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara as the Chief Guest of Honour.