Smallholder farmers in Akwa Ibom State are celebrating a great support that they got from the government. And this time it is the federal government. 500, 000 of them are direct beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s programme known as “Project Earn from the soil”. The step by Abuja to domesticate the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy. The 500,000 smallholder farmers get fisherfolk, agribusinesses, and coastal communities in the South-South region. This programme is also designed to have indirect benefits to 1,000,000 household families in the state.
Hon. Gift Johobull, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Community Engagement, South-South, while flagging off the project, said the project would boost food security and create a new generation of women agripreneurs. According to him, the objective is to make Akwa Ibom a leader in agricultural production not just in Nigeria, but across West Africa.
“The empowerment of women is not just a goal but a responsibility,” she stated. “It is a responsibility that we must all share —government, private sector, civil society, and the community at large. By working together, we can create an environment where women are no longer just participants in the economy but leaders and innovators who drive growth and development.”
Johobull said the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy is a comprehensive blueprint aimed at transforming the lives of women in Akwa Ibom by enhancing their access to finance, agriculture, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership opportunities.
“The policy is expected to lay the foundation for sustainable, inclusive development across the state. Over 32 cooperatives have been registered free across 31 local governments of the state cutting across six value chains of agriculture. Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude for President Bola Tinubu’s support to the state. She implored all stakeholders to harness the power of the state’s land, resources, and people to create a thriving, equitable, and prosperous Akwa Ibom that aligns with President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda on food security.
Patience Umo Eno, wife of the state governor, who was represented by Dr Ini Adiakpan, Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, said that the project aligns with the agenda of the state’s leadership, particularly the focus on agriculture. She said, “This project is in line with His Excellency’s agenda, which is centred on agriculture. We are confident that this endeavour will empower our women and drive the economic growth of our state.”
Offiong Offor, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, in her goodwill message, expressed the state government’s commitment to providing the necessary resources and support to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability. She encouraged women and men farmers to organise into cooperative groups.