By Agrobroadcast Team
A gender policy advocate has called on governments at all levels to invest in community-based aggregation centres as a strategic solution to persistent challenges facing women farmers in Nigeria’s agrifood sector.
Ms. Chika Orji, a Fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Gender in Agrifood Systems Policy (GASP) Programme, made the appeal during an interview in Abuja, stressing that women-focused infrastructure could significantly transform rural agricultural economies.
According to Orji, properly established aggregation centres would reduce post-harvest losses, limit exploitation by middlemen, and prevent the widespread practice of farmgate price dumping that often disadvantages smallholder farmers.
The GASP programme, implemented under the AWARD Fellowship, seeks to amplify the voices of women in agrifood systems while advancing policy advocacy around their challenges.
Orji, who also serves as Programme and Communications Officer at the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), noted that such infrastructure would ease operational pressures on both government and farmers, particularly women who dominate smallholder agriculture.
She identified post-harvest losses as a major structural constraint, explaining that their impact extends beyond agriculture into broader socio-economic realities.
“Post-harvest losses translate directly into lost income, reduced access to education and healthcare, and diminished dignity for women farmers,” she said.
Citing data, Orji disclosed that out of an estimated 150 million tonnes of food produced annually by smallholder farmers, about 60 million tonnes are lost due to inadequate storage, weak infrastructure, poor preservation systems, and inconsistent policies.
She added that the situation is compounded by limited access to finance, training, markets, and homegrown technologies, alongside systemic social exclusion and the activities of exploitative middlemen.Rather than sympathy, Orji emphasised the need for deliberate structural reforms.
“Women farmers require functional systems, strong policy frameworks, and improved extension services. They must move from invisibility to visibility. They have laboured long enough; it is time to dismantle systemic barriers,” she said.
She further noted that women make up approximately 70 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 38 million smallholder farmers, yet remain undervalued despite their critical role in ensuring national food security.
Referencing the 2026 International Women’s Day, Orji urged increased investment in aggregation centres, local storage facilities, and preservation technologies, noting that such interventions could also generate employment opportunities for women and youth.
She called on government, private sector actors, and development partners to prioritise coordinated support systems that improve access to finance and markets for women farmers.
“This is about food security, inclusion, dignity, and the future of Nigeria and Africa,” she said.
Orji also advocated the passage of the Reserved Seats Bill for Women and stronger implementation of gender-responsive agricultural policies to enhance women’s visibility and participation in decision-making processes.