There are indications that Nigeria is walking the talk about efforts to make
significant improvement in food production. This is evident in the deliberate
steps being taken to change some of the components of the policy on
agriculture. As part of this steps, on Monday October 20, 2025 there will the
national validation of the revised gender policy in agriculture, NGPA. It is a
move expected to make the country’s food system more inclusive and
equitable.the policy, which is expected to run from 2025 to 2030 is aimed at
promoting gender sensitivity across the agriculture value chain.
The policy was produced from collaboration among the stakeholders, even
as it is a development on the previous policy initiative that addresses
gender biases and inequality in agriculture.
The National Consultant for the policy review, Nkiruka Okonkwo, had
during the North-East Zonal Consultative Forum in Gombe, said that the
updated framework reflects current realities and ensures that “no group is
left behind in agricultural development.”
The forum was organised by ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Small Scale Women
Farmers of Nigeria, and supported by AGRA, GIZ, and CARE.
Okonkwo explained that the new policy identifies men, women, youth, and
persons with disabilities as key stakeholders, adding that it is “structured to
give ownership to farmers and local communities, not just policymakers in
Abuja.”
She recalled that the NGPA was first developed in 2014 and validated in
2019. The 2025 review, she noted, introduces institutional frameworks
establishing Gender Steering Committees at national, state, local
government, and ward levels.
“This bottom-up approach ensures inclusivity and accountability. For the
first time, farmers, cooperatives, civil society organisations, and persons
with disabilities are actively shaping the policy,” she said.
After the Monday validation in Abuja, the document will be submitted to the
Federal Executive Council (FEC). Thereafter, the document,which is
expected to transform the agriculture sector, will be transferred to the
National Council on Agriculture in Kaduna in November for implementation.
The revised policy,which comes with a 2025–2030 Strategic Action Plan,
will require states to create gender budget lines in agriculture and
encourage stronger public-private partnerships.
ActionAid Nigeria’s Food and Agriculture Programme Advisor, Blessing
Akhile, said the policy review was timely. “This forum ensures that the
voices of smallholder women farmers, young people, and persons with
disabilities are meaningfully captured in shaping a more inclusive and
equitable food system,” she said.
Akhile added: “These efforts have contributed to food security, poverty
reduction, and improved livelihoods for millions of Nigerians. Yet, as our
food systems evolve, new challenges have emerged, making this review
both timely and necessary.”
AGRA’s Esther Ibrahim stressed her organisation’s commitment to gender
equality in food systems transformation. “Since June, this journey has
progressed across Nigeria. This is the last zone before the national
validation. For us at AGRA, gender is critical for food systems
transformation,” she said.
Gombe state raised the hope that state governments would subscribe to
the revised policy. Its Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and
Cooperatives, Dr Barnabas Malle, praised the initiative and assured that
the state is ready to domesticate the policy once finalised. He said,“Gombe
is an agrarian state, and 85 percent of the population is involved in
agriculture.”
According to him, implementing the policy would just be an added
advantage for the state government to advance what it is already doing for
different categories of farmers in the state. He added,“The governor has
been supporting women, men, persons with disabilities, and school
children. Once the policy is ready, he will ensure it is domesticated.”
FG Trains 300 Youths on Tractor Operation to Boost Mechanised Farming
Weeks after the federal government took delivery of 2000 tractors expected
to change the practice of agriculture in Nigeria, questions have been raised
over when the tractors will be put to use. But a training programme in
Akure, Ondo state has shown that the government was apparently planning
to ensure that Nigerians get value for the investment made into the farm
implements. The training involved 300 youths who will be entrusted with the
operation and maintenance of the tractors. Those who participated in the
training in Akure were 300, and they were drawn from the South-South,
South-East, South-West, as well as Kogi and Kwara States.
Prior to the exercise held in Akure, the same number of youths were
trained in Misau,Bauchi State. It is part of the programme to scale up
mechanised farming and strengthen food security.
The programme, launched at the Agricultural Mechanics and Machinery
Operators Training Centre (AMMOTRAC) in Akure North, Ondo State, is
part of the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme of the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).
Declaring the training open, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security,
Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was represented by the ministry’s South-
West Regional Director, Mrs Temitope Alao, said the initiative is aimed at
equipping young people with practical skills in handling agricultural
machinery to drive modern farming. He stated that“To achieve food security
for our nation, we must move from subsistence farming to modern, efficient,
and competitive agriculture. This transformation is impossible without
mechanisation.”
Kyari noted that with 70 million hectares of arable land, the southern zone
has the potential not only to feed Nigeria but also to contribute to global
food security, if farming practices are modernised. What that means is that
with the necessary commitment the country, when the harvests from the
north and the south are combined, could be the food basket of the world.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Markus Ogunjobi,
described the training as a “strategic investment” in human capital,
stressing the importance of skilled operators and mechanics.
To further emphasise the importance of the training, and perhaps indirectly
explained the need for the delay in putting the tractors to use, Ogunjobi,
who was represented by Engr. Aroboinosen Hillary, told his audience,“A
tractor is only as good as the operator and the mechanic who maintains it.”
He explained that the week-long training will combine theoretical
knowledge with hands-on sessions, covering safety, maintenance,
diagnostics, and field operations to ensure tractors remain in peak
condition during farming seasons.
Ondo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Eleye Akinola, whose
address was read by Director of Engineering Services in the ministry, Caleb
Olowojola, said of the initiative,“Mechanised farming is the panacea to the
food crisis, and this initiative is a major step forward for the southern
region.”
The programme is expected to boost productivity, create employment
opportunities, reduce reliance on foreign technical support, and strengthen
rural development in line.
Cashew Farmers Deny Leadership Crisis, Reaffirm Ajanaku as NCAN
President
The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has dismissed reports
of a leadership crisis within the association, insisting that its National
President, Dr Ojo Joseph Ajanaku, remains the duly elected and
recognised leader.
In a statement issued after claims by an unnamed group at a recent press
briefing, NCAN described the allegations of an “interim leadership” as
misleading and not representative of the cashew industry.
The association recalled that its national election was held on 23 November
2024 at the FACAN Headquarters in Abuja, where Dr Ajanaku emerged as
president and was duly sworn in by the Board of Trustees.
“Any insinuation of a leadership crisis is simply an attempt to misinform
stakeholders and distract from ongoing efforts to develop the cashew
subsector,” the statement read.
Responding to accusations that NCAN had stalled work on the cashew
industry road map, the association clarified that the document was
produced by an international development partner and is currently under
review in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and
Investment (FMITI) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Security (FMAFS).
The review, it explained, was necessary to ensure the framework aligns
with national priorities.
“The association remains united and focused on promoting Nigeria’s
cashew industry. We assure Nigerians and international partners that
NCAN, under the leadership of Dr Ajanaku, is open for business and
committed to supporting the sector’s growth,” the statement added.
NCAN urged stakeholders to disregard the claims of “self-acclaimed interim
executives” and pledged to continue working with government and private
sector partners to strengthen cashew production, processing, and export.