The Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Hon. Joanah Gigi, has called for increased investment in women farmers as a strategy to strengthen food security, build resilient families and promote sustainable economic development in Bayelsa State.
The Commissioner made the call while delivering a keynote address at the State Women Agribusiness Summit, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Yenagoa, as part of activities marking the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
The summit, themed “Empowering the Woman Farmer: Strengthening Food Security, Building Resilient Families and Transforming Communities,” was aimed at addressing the peculiar challenges hindering women from engaging in commercial farming and agribusiness.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Madam, Tonye Koroye, emphasised the need to improve women farmers’ access to land, affordable financing, modern agricultural technology, extension services, markets and infrastructure as a pathway to sustainable development and increased productivity.
She noted that women farmers are no longer invisible contributors to the agricultural sector, stressing that they produce more than 50 per cent of Africa’s food and therefore deserve greater recognition, support and investment.
Hon. Gigi urged development partners, financial institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to make measurable investments in programmes and initiatives that would improve the livelihoods, productivity and economic empowerment of women farmers.
The Commissioner further reaffirmed the commitment of the Prosperity Administration to supporting and equipping women farmers across the state through various initiatives and agriculture-based policies, including the Prosperity Farmers’ Grant Scheme and other interventions.
She described the summit as timely, noting that it provided an opportunity to identify the gaps affecting women farmers and develop practical solutions to strengthen their contribution to food security and sustainable development in Bayelsa State.
One of the beneficiaries of the LIFE-ND Project, Mrs. Juliet Amakoromo, shared her experience of how the intervention had transformed her farming activities from the grassroots level to an internationally recognised enterprise.
She expressed appreciation to LIFE-ND and the Bayelsa State Government for their support and intervention.
Also present at the summit was the Commissioner for Agriculture, among other stakeholders.
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