FG, BOA deepen collaboration on women's economic empowerment

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Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, and his management team on a courtesy visit.


The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Bank of Agriculture, BOA  have expressed commitment to strengthening collaboration on programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of women, expanding access to agricultural finance and boosting Nigeria's agricultural sector.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated this in Abuja while receiving the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, and his management team on a courtesy visit.

The Minister said women remain central to Nigeria's agricultural value chain and must be provided with the necessary support to scale their businesses, improve productivity and contribute more significantly to national economic growth.

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that experiences from the Nigerian for Women Programme Scale-Up Project have demonstrated the enormous potential of women in agriculture, particularly in agro-processing and value addition.

She explained that many women participating in the programme have established successful enterprises, including milling and processing facilities, stressing that access to finance and infrastructure remains critical to unlocking greater opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

The Minister emphasized that empowering women in agriculture would help address poverty, improve food security, strengthen nutrition outcomes and support the Federal Government's goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

She also identified the Women Agricultural Value Empowerment initiative, known as WAVE, as another platform through which women-owned agribusinesses can benefit from strategic partnerships and targeted interventions.

"We don't need to teach them how to farm. They already know how to work the land. We just need to support them so they can earn better, live better and contribute more to the economy," she said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, described women as a critical force within Nigeria's agricultural sector, noting that they account for a significant share of the country's farming population.

Mr. Sotinrin said the Bank is prioritizing programmes targeted at women, youths, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons as part of efforts to drive inclusive growth and agricultural transformation.

According to him, the Bank's Renewed Hope Smallholder Financing and Value Chain Programme is designed to provide access to finance, improve market linkages and enhance productivity among smallholder farmers.

He explained that the institution is leveraging technology and strategic partnerships to support farmers, strengthen value chains and create pathways for smallholder producers to grow into viable small and medium-scale enterprises.

The Bank of Agriculture Managing Director expressed readiness to partner with the Ministry of Women Affairs on initiatives capable of empowering millions of women, increasing agricultural productivity and boosting national economic development.



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