Story
September 14, 2021
Nigeria: How The Women Farmers of Iseyin Are Facing Climate Change and Credit Tightening (French)
Country:
Iseyin women farmers have been excluded from agricultural grants.
To read this report in French, click here.
In the article published by Agence Cameroun Presse, titled “Nigeria: Comment les agricultrices d'Iseyin font face au changement climatique et au resserrement du crédit,” or in English translation: “Nigeria: How Iseyin Women Farmers Cope with Climate Change and the Credit Crunch,” the texts point out how many Iseyin farmers are unable to access grants or loans. The women who testified about how they were excluded also spoke about the other challenges they face due to low precipitation, cattle and pests that destroy their crops.
For example, Alimotou Sulaiman, the woman leader at the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, said that stimulus programs excluded uneducated women farmers. Moreover, a small farmer, Alice Omotosho, stated that some of the beneficiaries are not farmers. Therefore, the story of exclusion exposes a lot of manipulation in the different grant programs for farmers in Iseyin.
Another part of the text reveals the shortcomings of the whole process of selection and awarding the grants by officials in charge of the program, the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA). Agency officials have addressed some of the challenges facing women farmers, although they have refused to talk in depth about the grant program. Ngizan Chahul, leader of the Nigerian Association of Women in Agriculture (NAWIA), affirmed the misappropriation of funds by the organizations responsible for distribution. The funds were intended to empower women farmers.
Reporting identifies the pitfalls of the grants and reveals how female farmers are adapting to the new challenges of farming, such as climate change and livestock and parasites invading their farms.
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