Igbo women under the aegis of Women Assembly, IWA, have concluded plans to hold a summit on agro expo, and have called on the South-East Governors to make available, 200 hectares of farmland in each state which would be used as farm clusters by women.
The women’s body in a statement they issued on Sunday and signed by the President General of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie and the Director of Media and Publicity, Odoziaku Nonye Aduba, announced a two-day agro-export summit to educate women on the export of farm produce, and to give women the opportunity to become more innovative in their agribusiness.
The 1000 hectares of farmland IWA requested, is to be used to engage about 50,000 women in commercial farming across South East every year, which is expected to generate a multiplier effect of an additional 20, 000 new jobs per state every year.
According to the statement, the agro export summit scheduled to be held at Enugu is expected to provide food security and boost agro businesses among women in the South East, noting that African women are integral part of the agriculture sector, while pointing out that time has come to empower Igbo women to be self reliant and to depend less on their husbands.
“IWA yearns to obtain attention to support women in agribusiness, not only increasing the livelihoods of the vendors, workers and suppliers in a particular trade, but to support women in manufacturing, and exportation of farm produce that form modern practices to create all-inclusive value chain.
“The agro-summit will help to improve the livelihoods of women in agribusiness either through growing business revenue for women entrepreneurs, producers and job creation for women across the agriculture value chain.
“The summit is based on a challenge fund model, with a few reforms to address fundamental barriers that limit women’s access to finance; the production of suitable food crops to meet the needs and changing taste of the growing population as well as to increase the quality and efficiency of producing the major export crops as demanded by the world market.
“The business models will also facilitate women to take advantage of economic opportunities by upgrading their current roles or taking on new roles as well as generate innovations in practices and processes that will create a more inclusive value chain,” the statement further stated
According to the statement, the event will be chaired by a former VIce Chancellor of the Imo State University, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie.
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