How Kogi Women Are Revolutionizing Agriculture, By Dada Ahmed

Without mincing words, it is correct to say that in the heart of Nigeria’s farming communities, women till the land, sow the seeds, and harvest the crops that feed millions. Unfortunately, findings have shown that for decades, women have remained on the margins of the agricultural policy-making process, access to credit, and technological innovation.
But on a happy note, the story is changing, thanks in part, to the efforts of the Women in Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited (WIACF), an organization representing transformative force that is quietly reshaping the role of women in farming in Kogi State.
Founded in 2009 and led by Dr. (Mrs.) Esther Audu as the National President, WIACF is not just another cooperative; it is a lifeline for thousands of women seeking dignity, prosperity, and inclusion in Nigeria’s most vital economic sector,agriculture. Through a well-structured model that combines production, processing, marketing, health insurance, and financial access, WIACF is determined to turn women farmers in the state into formidable agribusiness stakeholders.
Kogi State, often called the “food basket” of the North Central zone in certain quarters of Nigeria, is a major focus of WIACF’s interventions in this write up. The Federation operates in all 21 Local Government Areas, directly reaching rural women in communities such as Anyigba, Dekina, Okene, Kabba, and Lokoja. Agriculture experts believe that with over 70 percent of the state’s farming population said to be women, the impact of empowering them cannot be overstated.
However, it must be noted that one of the key challenges women in agriculture face generally is land ownership. Cultural norms and gender-biased inheritance systems restrict their access to land, thereby limiting their productivity. WIACF realizes this major hindrance to effective women participation in food production and has put machinery in motion to address this by forming cooperative clusters. These clusters allow women to pool resources, lease land collectively, and negotiate better terms with community leaders and local authorities for greater results.
Another hurdle is access to finance and mechanization,a development that has forced many women farmers to operate at a subsistence level due to a lack of capital and tools. The management of WIACF has expressed its resolve to bridge this gap through microloans, tractor leasing, and seedling provision.
The Federation says it has partnered with Liberty Hub International and Mechanized Agricultural Investment and Services (MAIS) to provide cleared farmland, high-yield seedlings, and direct produce-buying contracts to women-led cooperatives.
Beyond cultivation, WIACF is also focusing on value addition and entrepreneurship. Hundreds of Kogi women are being trained in soap-making, food processing, block molding, and poultry to create multiple income streams, stabilize family welfare, and reduce rural poverty.
Perhaps, most revolutionary in the Federation’s conscious effort to transform agriculture in the state is its investment in infrastructure. Record shows that WIACF is developing 16 food merchant centres across Kogi to store, process, and distribute agricultural produce.
The optimism is that, these centres will cut down post-harvest losses,an issue that has plagued Nigerian agriculture for decades,and improve food availability throughout the year.
Conscious of the role of good health in farming activities, WIACF has incorporated health and social welfare into its model.
The programme enables women to enroll in the Federation and benefit from health insurance schemes, thereby giving them a kind of security that is rare in informal agricultural settings. The management of WIACF believes with other discerning minds that, when women farmers are healthy and financially protected, their productivity will increase significantly and not taking this for granted in its operations.
Advocacy also forms a pillar of WIACF’s approach in actualizing its aims and objectives for women farmers in the state. To realize this noble cause, it has consistently stressed the imperative of the public sector releasing agricultural funds allocated for women annually,funds which often run into hundreds of millions of naira could not be accessed.
Studies show that cultural and socioeconomic barriers account for over 90% of the variance in women’s ability to participate in agricultural cooperatives.
To rectify this anomaly, WIACF says it has developed a cooperative model that will help dismantle these barriers by offering a support system where women find solidarity, education, and collective bargaining power. In doing so, women farmers will gain a stronger voice,both on the farm and at the policy table.
Partnerships have also fueled WIACF’s reach, especially through collaborations with organizations like the World Bank, CESEL, and Youth for Technology. These partnerships will necessitate bringing solar-powered irrigation systems to 10,000 farmers in the state, 70 percent of them women. Agricultural analysts praise the Federation for taking such a step, noting that it will expand dry-season farming, reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture, ginger the interest of women into farming and improve year-round food supply.
By enabling market access, WIACF has promised to connect women producers directly with buyers to eliminate exploitative middlemen. This translates into better prices, increased savings, and a stronger economic base for households and enable to reinvest in better seeds, equipment, and training, thereby fueling a virtuous cycle of growth.
The Federation’s commitment to capacity building cannot be ignored. Every year, WIACF train over 200 women in the state to enhance their technical skills in farming and soft skills like bookkeeping, leadership, and marketing. Over time, these trained women become peer mentors, spreading knowledge across communities.
In a country such as Nigeria, battling food insecurity, Kogi State inclusive, due to climate change, insecurity, and rising input costs, empowering women is not just a moral obligation; it is a strategic necessity.
The Women in Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited is actively contributing to the concerted efforts to ensure food security in Kogi state by demonstrating that food sufficiency cannot be achieved without women’s full participation,if the state must witness agricultural revolution.
As Nigeria looks forward to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), WIACF offers a blueprint for inclusive agricultural growth in alliance with its operations in Kogi State. Its work in the state is a testament to what is possible when policy meets passion and tradition gives way to transformation.
The consensus amongst agriculture experts is that, the future of Kogi’s agriculture may well lie in the hands of its women. With organizations like WIACF providing the tools, training, and voice they need, that future looks increasingly fertile.
Dada Ahmed is the Director of Media for WIAC.