Bridging the gender gap in agric productivity

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has estimated that Nigeria loses about $2.3 billion annually due to the gender gap in agricultural productivity. This represents about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The United Nations agency said closing gender gaps in agricultural productivity and wages could generate additional $1 trillion to the global economy and reduce food insecurity for millions of people.

The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, stated this in Abuja during the commemoration of the International Year of Woman Farmer 2026, organised with the theme, “Advancing Women’s Leadership and Economic Power in Nigeria’s Agrifood System.” Gadain, who was represented by the Senior Programme Officer of FAO, Jimmy Owani, said that investing in women has both social and economic benefits. He explained that evidence has shown that when women have equal access to opportunities and resources, agricultural productivity increases.

The FAO boss in Nigeria lamented that despite contributing an estimated 37 per cent of labour in crop production, many Nigerian women still face challenges accessing land, finance, agricultural services, improved technologies and leadership opportunities. These constraints, according to him, resulted in female-managed farms recording lower productivity because of unequal access to resources and opportunities. “The cost of this inequality is substantial. Estimates suggest that the gender gap in agricultural productivity costs Nigeria approximately $2.3 billion annually, equivalent to about two per cent of GDP. Closing these gaps presents a significant opportunity to accelerate agricultural transformation, strengthen food security and drive inclusive economic growth,” he stated.

Similarly, the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed through its representative, Edouak Thiam, that 128,000 women had been a major part of its agricultural interventions in northern Nigeria over the past five years. It has supported farmers with seeds, fertiliser and other agricultural inputs, equipment and storage facilities, irrigation, market linkages and community resilience hubs. More interventions like this should be encouraged in other parts of Nigeria.

It is troubling that Nigeria’s full agricultural potentials are still underutilised at a critical time the country needs to shore up its non-oil exports and GDP. The $2.3 billion lost annually due to the gender-based gap in agricultural productivity is too significant to ignore. It is unfortunate that women constitute the bulk of farmers in Nigeria but are not encouraged to reach their optimal production capacity in agricultural productivity

A recent study suggests that women comprise between 70 and 75 per cent of the farming and agricultural labour force in Nigeria. Also, over 52 per cent of small-scale farmers in the country are women. Another report says that Nigerian women produce an estimated 60-70 per cent total domestic agricultural output and food consumed nationally. Overall, Nigerian women actively participate across 30-50 per cent of the broader food value chain, including crop processing, transport, distribution, and retail.

For Nigeria to address the gender gap in agricultural productivity, it must urgently address the challenges hampering female farmers from achieving their goals. The percentage of women owning farmland in the country is too small. Due to discriminatory inheritance cultural practices, less than 14 per cent of farmland in the country is traced to women with formal rights. Compared to men, more than 80 per cent of women in the country cannot access agricultural credit and loans, which will boost their agricultural production. Financial institutions and government agencies should improve access to loans for female farmers.

There is need to increase the remuneration of hired female farmers, who earn about 30 per cent less than their male counterparts for equivalent labour hours. Nigerian agricultural productivity will also increase if modern farming inputs can be leased to women for mechanised agriculture. We say this because of the high cost of procuring tractors and other farming equipment.

Nigerian female farmers should equally be supported with fertilisers. Since insecurity has affected farmers in Nigeria, including female farmers, let the government provide more security to farming communities. This will enable farmers return to their abandoned farms and enhance the nation’s food security. This challenge is more pronounced in the Middle Belt region, which has experienced herdsmen killings in recent times as well as destruction of farms.

Female farmers should be encouraged to embrace all seasons farming. They should also have access to agricultural extension officers, who will assist them with modern trends in farming and provide them with high yield seedlings. This can also apply to female farmers engaged in animal farming. We urge the 36 state governors to give agriculture the much-needed attention and give female farmers more incentives.

At the same time, women-led agricultural enterprises need more opportunities to excel. With adequate empowerment, female farmers, who dominate farming in Nigeria, would likely make the difference in Nigeria’s agricultural productivity. Women need to be recognised as equal partners and decision-makers in the sector. To attain sustainable food-sufficiency, female farmers should be given the necessary support. All hands must be on deck to remove the barriers limiting the economic participation of Nigerian women in agriculture.