Nigeria, IFAD to inaugurate agriculture gender network

Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), is set to inaugurate the Nigeria Agriculture Gender Network (NAGN). This is contained in a statement signed by the Knowledge Management and Communications Advisor, IFAD-Nigeria Programmes, Mrs Vera Onyilo on Monday in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that NAGN is a national network designed to enhance knowledge sharing, promote experience and information exchange among donor funded agriculture/rural development programmes in Nigeria in respect to women, youth and other vulnerable groups.

Onyilo said that the aim of the network is to provide peer support structure, learning and experience sharing opportunities among donor-supported agric projects.

According to her, it is expected that the platform will showcase and re-enforce projects work in furthering women’s empowerment and gender equality. “It will provide strategic opportunities for collaboration in advocating for appropriate policies that could help foster gender equality and transformation. The first session of the NAGN with the Theme: Sharing Good Practices and Lessons for Integrating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture is scheduled for October 12 to 15.

“The forum will bring together women & Youth/gender focal points in donor funded Programmes/Projects, government, development partners and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector to interact and foster partnerships needed to ensure that gender transformation is achieved,” she said. Onyilo explained that the workshop would also allow new projects to learn from on-going projects’ experiences by cross-fertilising ideas to enhance operations and fulfilment of mandates. She said that a four-day knowledge-sharing workshop which would feature discussions on project impact, challenges and lessons and visit to successful models on women economic empowerment from the VCDP in Niger state. (NAN)