The Federal Government has flagged off the Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) Initiative, a landmark programme designed to empower 10 million Nigerian women across the agricultural value chain, in what experts described as a bold step toward bridging gender inequality in the sector.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, was launched during a three-day national capacity-building workshop held in Abuja between August 27 and 29, 2025.
It is a flagship project under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with training modules tailored to equip women with skills in greenhouse farming, homestead gardening, post-harvest storage, financial literacy, and agribusiness management.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the programme as a turning point in Nigeria’s agricultural history.
She lamented the structural barriers that have long undermined women’s contribution, despite their dominance in the sector.
“Women make up 70 percent of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce and account for 80 percent of our food output. Yet, they earn 30 percent less, and only 10 percent own farmland or have access to financing,” the Minister said. “This exclusion may not always be deliberate, but it is realand it ends now," she further said.
She stressed that the government was intentional about dismantling these barriers, positioning women not as passive beneficiaries but as drivers of national transformation.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Women Affairs during the workshop.
The OIC’s Assistant Secretary-General, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, pledged continued support to advance women’s empowerment and food security across member states.
Also recognised was the Mutual Commitment Company (MCC), a key private sector partner in the WAVE Consortium.
The Minister hailed MCC’s collaboration as a model for future partnerships that combine public policy with private investment to drive sustainable development.
Participants at the workshop hailed the initiative as life-changing. Mrs. Dinatu Adiza Sani, a ginger and groundnut farmer from Abuja Municipal Area Council, said the training opened her eyes to opportunities in value addition.
“I have been farming since childhood, but I only sold raw produce. Now, I am learning how to process, package, and brand my crops. This can transform my income,” she said, applauding the government for prioritising rural women.
Chairman of the WAVE Initiative, Shittu Kabir, described the programme as a “game-changer” that would enable women to build profitable ventures, adopt modern techniques, and create sustainable value chains from farm to market.
The launch of WAVE coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and three decades since the Beijing Platform for Action, both historic markers in the global push for gender equity.
Analysts noted that by targeting 10 million women, the programme has the potential to significantly reduce poverty, boost household nutrition, and expand Nigeria’s agro-export capacity. More importantly, it could redefine women’s place in national food systems by transforming them into leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged participants to seize the opportunities provided by the administration, noting that while policies and support systems are expanding, real transformation lies in women’s ability to utilise them.
“To all Nigerian women, seize the opportunities this administration is creating,” she said. “The policies are being reformed, the support systems are growing—but the real transformation lies in your hands. Your success is Nigeria’s success.”
The WAVE initiative, rooted in global conventions on gender equality and sustainable development, is being positioned as more than a social intervention. Observers say it is a strategic economic policy that links gender empowerment with national prosperity.
As Nigeria continues to battle rising food insecurity, the government’s new focus on women who constitute the backbone of the sector may prove decisive.
