UN Women, in partnership with the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), has launched an initiative to boost women’s participation and leadership in Nigeria’s cassava value chain, promoting inclusive agricultural growth and gender equality.
At a two-day stakeholder meeting, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, said empowering women in agriculture is both a social and economic imperative, noting that closing gender gaps could increase yields by 30 percent, raise food production by 4 percent, and reduce malnutrition by 17 percent.
She described cassava as climate-resilient and vital to women’s livelihoods but noted that most women remain in low-income, labor-intensive roles. The collaboration, she said, will give them access to climate-smart technologies, credit, cooperatives, and markets.
“At UN Women, we have seen that when women farmers are supported with the right tools, policies, and opportunities, they lift entire households and communities,” Ms. Eyong said, adding that the partnership ensures women are leaders in achieving food security and climate resilience.
IOFS Representative, Dr. William Agyei-Manu, explained that the consultation builds on a joint study carried out in Abia, Oyo, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory, which identified major gaps in women’s access to resources, technology, and infrastructure within the cassava sector.
He noted that although Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, productivity remains low due to structural and gender-specific challenges.
Dr. Agyei-Manu said IOFS is committed to working with national partners to design gender-responsive cassava strategies, strengthen cooperatives, and facilitate access to technology and finance.
He added that both organizations are developing a regional programme titled “Women’s Empowerment through Climate-Resilient Agriculture Value Chains” to be scaled across West and Central Africa, with cassava as the first target commodity.
Please find original version of article below:
https://radionigeria.gov.ng/2025/10/08/un-women-iofs-partner-to-empower-women-in-cassava-value-chain/
