Group asks FG to improve security on farms for increased food production.

From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.
A gender advocacy group known as Liberate the Women Initiative which crusades for the protection of the rights of the female folk has called on the Federal Government to create the right atmosphere for women to return to their farms throughout the country and contribute their quota to the fight against hunger and the looming food shortages threatening the nation’s population.
The non-governmental organisation reasoned that the high cost of food items and other essential agricultural commodities was caused by the withdrawal of women from farms due to insecurity especially kidnapping and rape rampant on farms since the past seven years.
The National President and founder of the organisation, Evangelist Dr. Princess Tobechukwu stated that women contribute and produce more than 70% of food items consumed locally in the country.
Evangelist Tobechukwu said prices of food items increased considerably when it became very difficult for women to go to farms and cultivate crops and other agricultural farm produce due to incessant kidnapping and rape.
”Every food item has increased in price sometimes six fold from what it used to be because of insecurity which made it difficult for people especially women to go to farms and produce food. This situation cannot be allowed to continue like this.
”We have started to sensitise our women farmers but we want the Federal Government to use its might and intervene by providing adequate security at the farms even though women are thinking about forming large groups and going to farm in such groups to help overwhelm attackers and prevent any kidnapping or rape attacks,” she stated.
The group leader made these remarks while speaking with newsmen at the sidelines of a one-day workshop on agriculture with the theme: ”Women as vanguards of food security in Nigeria,” organised by Liberate the Women Initiative in Gwagwalada to sensitise female farmers on modern ways to boost food crops production in the country.
According to Evangelist Princess, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders in the agriculture value chain need to work together to ensure that the tempo of agriculture rises in the country to avert the looming hunger due to scarcity and high cost of food items.
Other speakers at the event including Professor Anagwu Ikechukwu Augustine, Global Chairman of UNERO, who delivered the keynote address also harped on the need for improved security coverage in every farming community in the country before it will be possible for Nigeria to meet the United Nation’s goal of total eradication of hunger through improved food security by year 2030.
Officials of NIRSAL Microfinance Bank also attended and made presentations to the women on how to access loans for increased crop yield and other business ventures.
An official of Oxfarm,  Mr. Luggard Okonu promised that the agency will always partner with the women in ensuring that their livelihood and social status are improved for the better.
A director from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Chioma Amechi, who represented the Permanent Secretary commended the women for pioneering the initiative to improve food production in the country.
The director stated that government policy on agriculture was aimed at attaining self sufficiency throughout the sub-sectors of the food production chain while also leveraging on the strength of women who play crucial roles in agriculture.
”The government policy on agriculture encourages the adoption of gender sensitive and responsive approaches in the agricultural sector and ensures that women have equal access to productive resources by virtue of their significant contributions to agricultural output and food security in the country,” the director concluded.