Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to
placing women in prominent positions, especially in agriculture- related projects, to ensure equality in gender participation and also enhance food security in the State.
The State Project Coordinator, Kwara Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Project, Engr. Dr. Busari Toyin Isiaka, reiterated this while addressing participants at the sensitisation workshop, in Okuta, Baruteen Local Government Area of the State.
During the workshop organised by the Agency for Women’s Agricultural Cooperatives and Women’s SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) on Climate-Smart Agricultural Technology, Busari applauded Governor AbdulRazaq for his ingenuity to recognise the strength in women and how the latter’s participation in agricultural projects can help in enhancing food security, stressing that the Governor’s commitment to women’s active involvement in farming is justified by the high percentage of women farmers in the State.
Dr Busari, who was represented by the Project Infrastructure Engineer, Kwara Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Project, Engr. Dr. Ezekiel Olanrewaju Ariyo, explained that the sensitisation is aimed at creating awareness and bringing the project to the doorstep of the community stakeholders and also furnish them with the available agricultural technologies capable of enhancing better productivity for them.
He said: “The SAPZ project in Kwara will foreground dairy and beef with some consideration for crop farming. I therefore urge you participants to replicate the knowledge received on climate-smart agricultural technology in your various communities, for the other group members to benefit.”
The Coordinator, who warned that climate change has effects on agricultural productivity, enlightened them that “adoption of climate-smart agricultural technology will control such effects”.
The workshop featured a presentation on Climate-Smart Agricultural Technology facilitated by Mr. Gbadebo Elebiyo, who identified the various forms climate-smart agricultural technology can be adopted.
Some of the women farmers who attended the programme were appreciative of the project, as Deaconess Esther Bello and Olayemi Olaitan, who are members of Alpha and Omega Women’s group and SWOFON group from Baruteen local government area commended the initiative of Governor AbdulRazaq led administration, envisaging that the project would support farmers in the rural areas and bring to them a number of advantages that would improve their livelihood.
The Farmers, however, sought more support from government, with a promise to continue to support his administration.