The Women in Mechanised Agriculture (WIMA) initiative has called for the urgent adoption of gender-sensitive agricultural policies to improve productivity and ensure rural women in Nigeria have equitable access to mechanised farming.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement workshop in Abuja, WIMA President Aisha Yakubu Bako stressed the importance of inclusive policies that provide women access to inputs, land, equipment, and financing.
“Mechanisation isn’t just about machines; it’s about enabling women to produce more, earn more, and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” Bako said.
WIMA, which has over 300 women farmers and equipment operators across Nigeria, aims to empower one million women by 2030 through solar-powered agricultural hubs and digital learning tools tailored for rural areas.
Dr Aisha Waziri Umar, Chair of WIMA’s Board of Trustees, highlighted that many existing policies still treat male farmers as the default, leaving women disadvantaged despite forming a significant part of the agricultural workforce.
She emphasized the need for inclusive budgeting, flexible financing, and women-specific training programs to close the gap in agricultural mechanisation.
WIMA is collaborating with partners like PropCom+, the Mastercard Foundation, and various state agricultural development programmes to scale its women-led, climate-smart model.
As Nigeria faces rising food prices and climate-related challenges, WIMA’s advocacy underscores the economic importance of empowering women in agriculture.
