Okwe Obi, Abuja
To commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, the Federal Government, on Thursday, launched the National Gender Action Plan for Agriculture in Nigeria (NGAP).
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, while launching the scheme, challenged women to take part, insisting that through agriculture their voices would be heard.
READ ALSO: Delta Assembly suspends another member
International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations; it is also called the International Day of the Girl. It is marked on October 18 every year.
Represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President in the Office of Wife of the President, Dr. Hajo Sani, however, condemned the killings of aid workers and also encourage the girl child to aspire higher in life.
Her words, “Leave our daughters alone. This programme I am sure will go a long way in supporting women to succeed from subsistent farming to modern agriculture business.
“As we continue to clamour for greater participation in the political sphere, I am not unaware of the marginalisation in the just concluded primaries at the political parties in Nigeria.
“I am pained because most of them spent their hard earned money to be part of the process,” she lamented.
On his part, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, explained that three pillars of NGAP, which are food security, value chain upgrade and sector governance will be implemented to the fullest.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mu’azu Abulkadir, promised women of sufficient farming tools.
His words, “It is to build the capacity of women farmers to transmit from subsistent to medium and large scale farming.
“It is common knowledge that women are good managers and their commitment to the upgrade of the family is noticed.
“Women contribute 65 per cent of what we eat. We will ensure that they have access to land, improved seeds, fertilizers and loans,” he said.