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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and one of its agency, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing system for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) have been accused of frustrating effort of women in agricultural business to establish or expand their businesses, thereby making significant contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Founder, Every Woman Agricultural Empowerment Initiative, Mrs. Queen Babalola, told journalists at an event to mark the International Women’s Day in Abuja, that the two organisations have made things difficult for women who desire financial support, education and enlightenments needed to boost their businesses.
She said they have formally written and approached them for different kind of support but never got any lamenting the high level of frustration against the female gender in their efforts to expand the value chain of the agricultural business.
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She said: “We have been unable to access interventions funds from NIRSAL or any other government agency. I have gone to NIRSAL several times to solicit their support, but that never not pulled through. Howbeit, we won’t relent but continue in our quest to get their attention and support.
“I am aware that there are funds domiciled in CBN and other organisations meant to support women in agriculture business but many people are unaware of it. These people need to sensitise and educate us on the opportunities and how we could access it. “We even wrote and requested that NIRSAL attend event we organised to mark the International Women’s Day in Abuja, to speak and educate women in Agriculture business on available opportunities but they never showed up. The last communication I got from them was that the invitation letter was at the table of the Director General and he was yet to attend to it.”
She solicited the intervention and support of individuals and corporations to the effort to empower the women so they can be useful for themselves, their families and the society.
