FIC Report (Edo State) – In a bid to boost food security and promote women’s participation in agriculture, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has extended agricultural support to women across Edo State’s 18 local government areas under the Renewed Hope Initiative of the Federal Government.
The distribution exercise, held at the New Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, featured the handover of agricultural inputs including poultry chicks, improved seeds, farm tools, fertilizers, and cash grants to beneficiaries. The programme is part of the Women in Agriculture Empowerment Programme, designed to promote sustainable agricultural practices, economic inclusion, and household-level food sufficiency.
Speaking at the event, the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady in Edo State, Edesili Anani Okpebholo, emphasized that the initiative is aligned with the national agenda to strengthen the agricultural sector and uplift vulnerable populations, especially women and youth.
“This initiative is the brainchild of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, aimed at improving livelihoods and enhancing food production across households. Through this programme, we are empowering women, youths, and children to be part of a new agricultural revolution,” she said.
Anani explained that the Every Home a Garden sub-initiative encourages households to cultivate their own gardens, promoting healthy diets and community food resilience. Participants will receive seeds and engage in a gardening competition, where the top three gardens will earn cash prizes of ₦1 million, ₦500,000, and ₦300,000 respectively.
She further added that the programme also includes the decoration of 31 schoolchildren from the Young Farmers’ Club across Edo State with farming kits to kick-start inter-school farming competitions. The best-performing schools will receive rewards and have their produce purchased for further encouragement.
Special Adviser on Agriculture and Food Security, Ugbodu Golden, commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for prioritizing agriculture, highlighting state-level interventions such as the procurement of tractors, cultivation of over 200 hectares of farmland, and support to women cooperatives and school farms.
Golden added, “This administration is focused on enabling large-scale farming, ensuring food security, and economically empowering women and youths in the state.”
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Edo State Chapter, Alhaji Bako Ebiredelu Dogwo, lauded the Governor for his commitment to agriculture, contrasting it with the past administration’s neglect of the sector.
He said, “Under Governor Okpebholo, we are seeing renewed interest in agriculture. Farmers are happy, and there’s growing momentum across the sector thanks to the provision of tractors and vital support. This is a sharp contrast from the last administration, which left the sector to decay for eight years.”
Also speaking, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Osayande Sunday, applauded the state government for making farming attractive and viable, noting that more Edo citizens are now venturing into agriculture.
The event featured lectures and demonstrations from experts in poultry, vegetable farming, aquaculture, and agricultural careers, aimed at building the capacity of women, youth, and members of the Youths in Agriculture and Young Farmers’ Club.
The agricultural empowerment programme is expected to deepen community resilience, enhance nutritional outcomes, and drive grassroots economic development through farming.
Signed:
Omoluogbe Ruth
FIC Benin city
8 July, 2025
