NGO canvasses for female Federal minister of Agric

• As women co-operatives trains 121 member in fish farming
THE Coordinator, Awayi Women and Youths Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Mrs Endurance Anzaku has called on the Federal Government to appoint a female farmer as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development at the 3rd Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Women in Agriculture and Research for Development (NiWARD)‎, in Abuja recently.
Anzaku who said appointing a female farmer as a minister is the surest way to ensure Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in agriculture is guaranteed, added that women are major players in the country’s agricultural sector, especially at the grassroots level,
Noting that women do majority of the farm work as one of the reason a woman have to be at the helm of affairs in the agriculture sector, Anzaku decried the exclusion of women from the decision making process in the country’s agricultural policies and programmes, despite their being major players in the sector.
To Anzako, women’s contributions to the country’s agricultural and rural development are hardly appreciated by government with commensurate appointment opportunities, adding that gender inequality is very rampant in the agricultural sector and this constitutes a setback in terms of development.
“Women currently have little or no role in the decision ‎making process regarding agricultural development and it is rather unfortunate that female farmers in the country are among the voiceless when it comes to conceptualisation, planning and implementation of agricultural policies and programmes,“ Anzako said.
She demanded for opportunities to enable women effectively participate in policy making and governance on issues of agriculture to see the sector transformed, adding that the country is heading towards self-sufficiency in food production, involving women in the process of achieving the set target will go a long way in helping the sector.
Anzako who complained that men have been tasted and there was no much impact directly, requested that at this time a women should be put on the job. However, she commended the ongoing transformation in all sectors of the economy and urged sustainability to further boost productivity.
In the same vien, The president, Akwa Ibom Cooperative Women Alliance (AKICOWA) Mrs Nkereuwem Ekpe, disclosed that the cooperative has trained 121 members of their group on the production of catfish fingerlings and the management of the hatchery recently in Uyo in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)..