The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) have initiated a landmark partnership aimed at unlocking the economic potential of millions of Nigerian women through increased access to finance, land, agro-processing facilities, markets and sustainable agricultural value chains.
The collaboration, which centres on the Ministry’s Women in Agriculture Value Enhancement (WAVE) Programme and the Nigerian for Women Scale-Up Project, is expected to strengthen food security, boost rural livelihoods, reduce poverty and position women as key drivers of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Speaking during a strategic engagement with the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture in her office,in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, fsi, described the Bank as the “missing link” needed to scale the Ministry’s vision of empowering women-led agribusinesses across the country.
“Regardless of how many women are ready to grow and expand their agro ventures, without the right facilities and financing, we will not achieve the target of women we are trying to reach. This partnership is not just promising; it is an economic imperative,” the Minister stated.
Highlighting the success of the Nigeria for Women Scale-Up Project, the Minister noted that many women in pilot states have built thriving collective agro-processing enterprises through targeted support, demonstrating that strategic investments in women produce measurable results.
She recounted the story of a rural woman who walks nearly four hours daily to work on another person’s farm for meagre wages, stressing that access to finance and productive assets could transform the lives of millions of women in similar circumstances.
“Women do not need a handout; they need a hand-up. Women should be invested in because they pay back, they are bold, they are ready, and Nigeria women do not fail,” she affirmed.
The Minister disclosed that the WAVE Programme has already generated remarkable interest, with over 33,000 expressions of interest received in less than one month, demonstrating the enormous demand for affordable financing and business support among women entrepreneurs.
She further emphasised that the partnership would extend beyond smallholder farming to include women engaged in agro-processing, manufacturing, value addition, food preservation and export-oriented enterprises.
“We are thinking of different options for optimising value—from export to processing and even dominating African markets. We have abundant fruits and agricultural products; the challenge is storage, processing and packaging. This partnership can help women turn these opportunities into sustainable businesses,” she said.
The Minister urged both technical teams to develop an implementation framework within one week.
“Let’s work with urgency. Let’s not spend so much time over-planning. These women already exist and are ready. We can begin to pilot, keep testing the models and continue improving as we scale,” she charged.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture underscored the strategic importance of investing in women farmers, noting that Nigerian women constitute nearly 50 per cent of participants across the agricultural value chain, making them indispensable to national food sovereignty and economic growth.
“We believe this is a critical mass that cannot be ignored. Empowering women in agriculture will increase GDP, strengthen food security and support Nigeria’s ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy,” he said.
The BOA Managing Director explained that the 55-year-old institution, with 110 branches nationwide, has prioritised women, youth, internally displaced persons and persons with disabilities through innovative financing models that combine impact with sustainability.
He highlighted the Bank’s Renewed Hope Smallholder Finance and Value Chain Programme, which partners with farmer aggregation companies and state governments to provide financing, market access, financial inclusion and capacity building for rural farmers.
According to him, technology-driven monitoring systems now enable the Bank to profile beneficiaries, reduce collateral barriers and support the graduation of women from smallholder farming into thriving medium-scale enterprises.
“We are solving multiple problems at once—market linkage, market development and financial exclusion. As women are onboarded, they gain access to banking services and, over time, larger financing opportunities without the traditional collateral challenges,” he explained.
The BOA Chief Executive Officer also unveiled plans for a One Million Hectare Tree Crop Programme, covering cocoa, cashew, coffee and oil palm, alongside financing support for cottage industries and agro-processing enterprises that will create jobs and increase export earnings.
Expressing enthusiasm for the Ministry’s WAVE initiative, he described it as a sustainable intervention capable of lifting millions of women out of multidimensional poverty.
“These programmes will improve livelihoods, raise socio-economic status and ultimately reduce the conditions that fuel insecurity and social instability. We are excited about the enormous potential of this partnership with the Ministry,” he said.
Both parties agreed that data-driven programme design, revolving financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships will ensure sustainability, enabling today’s investments to empower future generations of women entrepreneurs.
The meeting concluded with a commitment by both institutions to fast-track implementation plans, reinforcing the Federal Government’s determination to build an inclusive economy where women are empowered with the tools, resources and opportunities needed to lead Nigeria’s agricultural transformation and long-term prosperity.
Ahmed Lawan Danbazau Mnipr
Head, Press and Public Relations Dept (FMWASD)
