The global health challenge, COVID-19, which affected every sphere of life in Nigeria and across the globe, has not spared the agricultural sector. And among the worst it are smallholder women farmers across the country.


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In this investigative report, made possible with support from the International Budget Partnership, (IBP), correspondent Alfred AJAYI highlights the impacts of COVID -19 on smallholder women farmers in Idemili, North, Ekwusigo, Orumba North, Ogbaru, and Nnewi South Local Government Areas of Anambra State.

ANAMBRA State by the outcome of the last population census in 2006, has a total population of four million, one hundred and seventy-seven thousand, eight hundred and twenty-eight. The population is expected to have grown to six million going by the 2.2 per cent national annual population growth.

An Agricultural Value Chain Expert, Mr Abraham Ogwu, in an interview with Radio Nigeria, revealed that women, who are largely involved in subsistence farming, constitute over seventy per cent of the entire farmer population in the country.

“You see all through the value chain. They are farm managers, they are suppliers of labour. They are involved in other activities like harvesting, processing, selling of these farm produce. You may hardly see them in all these long-term gestation crops, most especially export crops like cocoa and cotton. But when it comes to food crops, you see them planting pepper, vegetables. You see them in rice production, maize production. Also, you see in smallscale poultry, piggery, fishery. In a nutshell, the significance of women in ensuring food security is not something we should relegate”.

Statistical evidence also indicates that over five hundred thousand women farmers operate under the umbrella of Small Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria, SWOFON, in various parts of the country, including Anambra State.

The goal of this all-important group is to advocate for and support women farmers especially those in rural areas, to spur rural village economic development, increase food production through capacity building of smallholder women farmers to demand for their rights and privileges from the duty bearers, while serving as vocal and visible pressure group on behalf of smallholder women farmers in Nigeria.

For different reasons, some of theserural women farmers have becomebreadwinners of their various families and are poised to weather the storms not minding the drudgery and other challenges associated with small scale farming. They have kept their passion and are undeterred in the quest to contribute to the food security programme of the government.

…Rude interruption by COVID-19

However, the global health challenge, covid-19 pandemic, which had shattered national and global economies, did not spare these farmers, as revealed in separate interactions with some of them in various communities of Idemili, North, Ekwusigo, Orumba North, Ogbaru, and Nnewi South Local Government Areas.

Mrs Georgina Akunyiba lost her husband in October 2014 but the proceeds of her agricultural engagements have kept her afloat.

She boasted, “It was when I was in secondary school that I started this business. Then I continued from there. When my husband died in 2014, my first daughter was reading Anatomy, first year in the University. Today, she has graduated and finished her NYSC service. My son you saw in the shop was at SS 3 that time. He finished from secondary school and is now studying Animal Science, 400 Level, to produce more people from Agriculture. The other one is now entering. It’s all from agriculture to pay house rent, meet other demands. Let me tell you that I am looking for anybody to come and help me. Yes, I am a widow, but God has been helping me through this agriculture”.

Despite her exploits in poultry farming, Mrs Akunyiba, who co-ordinates the Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria in Anambra State, recounted bitterly the effects of covid-19 on her business.

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/covid-19-women-farmers-in-anambra-recount-negative-impacts-on-businesses/