The International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD) has trained 100 women farmers from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and surrounding areas in climate-smart agriculture and agroecological practices. The training, held in Abuja on Friday, was designed to equip female farmers with the knowledge and tools needed to adapt to the growing challenges of climate change.
Dr Ndudi Bowei, Consulting Partner for ICEHD, explained that the initiative was launched in partnership with the Rose of Sharon Foundation (ROSF) and aimed specifically at supporting women farmers to build resilience against climate-related impacts on agriculture. She highlighted that climate change is severely affecting female farmers, particularly through soil degradation, reduced fertility, and changing weather patterns that threaten food production and income.
Bowei emphasised that the programme not only addressed climate adaptation techniques but also provided guidance on developing sustainable farm businesses. Participants were trained on produce processing, packaging, labelling, and strategies for accessing international markets. The aim, she said, was to empower the women to scale up their agricultural ventures while safeguarding them from the economic disruptions caused by climate change.
Bowei acknowledged that the ICEHD is preparing women to farm for the future. This training enhances their understanding of smart agriculture. the ICEHD are also equipping them with tools such as solar-powered irrigation pumps and bio-fertilisers to boost productivity.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Oloruntosin Taiwo, National Coordinator of ROSF, noted that many of the beneficiaries were widows who relied on farming for their livelihoods. She said the goal was to provide them with greater economic stability and self-reliance, especially as climate variability continues to threaten their harvests.
”We have our widows that are also farmers. So what we hope to achieve working with ICEHD is to get stability for our widows farmers.
”So from this training, they are going to increase their knowledge of smart agriculture and everything that has to do with climate agriculture, so that even as they have a change in the climate, their produce is not affected.
”We want them to be able to take care of themselves and their children,” Taiwo said.
Also delivering a presentation at the event, Mrs Iyabo Mustapha, Assistant Director at the Department of Agricultural Land and Climate Change Management Services, underscored the importance of timely information and innovation in implementing climate-smart agricultural methods. She urged the women to adopt these practices to maintain long-term productivity on their farms.
At the conclusion of the programme, the women were presented with essential agricultural inputs and tools, including solar-powered irrigation machines, knapsack sprayers, sprinklers, and eco-friendly fertilisers.
Grateful beneficiaries such as Mrs Comfort Peter and Ruth Sunday expressed appreciation to ICEHD and ROSF for both the training and the donated equipment, pledging to apply their new knowledge and resources to improve their farms and livelihoods.
