The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) have called for greater inclusion of women in access to land, finance, and infrastructure within Nigeria’s cassava value chain, describing it as critical to driving sustainable economic growth.
The call was made in Abuja at the National Stakeholder Debriefing and Consultation Meeting on Cassava Value Chain, jointly organised by UN Women and IOFS to review progress and share lessons from ongoing interventions in the sector.
In her remarks, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, underscored the pivotal role of women in cassava production and processing, noting that they remain underrepresented in key areas of agricultural infrastructure and policy. “Women are the backbone of cassava processing, yet they bear the greatest weight of climate change and unpaid care work,” Eyong said. “By turning cassava’s potential into opportunity, we can transform hard labour into profitable enterprise, create decent green jobs, and drive inclusive, sustainable growth for our communities and our country.”
Eyong lamented that women in the cassava value chain often face structural barriers such as limited access to improved seedlings, modern equipment, credit, and markets, keeping them trapped in low-income, labour-intensive roles. “This initiative seeks to change that story,” she added. “By providing women with climate-smart technologies, microfinance access, and market linkages, we can help them move from subsistence to enterprise. Targeted training, supportive policies, and investments in infrastructure such as mechanized processing centres and renewable energy will make women leaders in cassava production and innovation.”
She further emphasized that women’s productivity cannot improve without addressing unpaid care burdens, calling for investments in energy, water, and time-saving facilities to enable them to expand their economic opportunities. “When women farmers are supported with the right tools, policies, and resources, they lift entire households and communities,” Eyong said. “Through this partnership with IOFS, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring women are not just beneficiaries, but leaders in food security and climate resilience.”
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, described women as vital to agricultural transformation, urging collaboration among stakeholders to ensure their full inclusion in decision-making within the cassava value chain.
Also speaking, IOFS Lead Consultant, Dr. William Agyei-Manu, outlined the organisation’s strategic commitments to advancing gender-responsive agricultural development in Nigeria. “This marks the beginning of a new phase of joint action,” he stated. “IOFS is committed to supporting gender-inclusive cassava strategies, improving women’s access to finance and technology, building capacity through shared processing facilities, and leveraging regional cooperation under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to replicate successful models across member states.”
Representatives from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, NEXIM Bank, GIZ, and the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat also delivered goodwill messages, reaffirming that empowering women with access to land, technology, and financing in the cassava value chain would accelerate poverty reduction and national development.
