FG Approves Gender Policy to Boost Food Security

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the Revised National Gender Policy on Agrifood Systems Transformation for Nigeria (NGPAST) and its Strategic Plan of Action for 2025–2030. This landmark policy aims to address persistent gender disparities within the agricultural sector, which significantly hinder food security and economic growth. By promoting gender equity, enhancing inclusivity, and ensuring equitable access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making for both women and men, the NGPAST seeks to revolutionize Nigeria's agrifood systems. The policy is a critical step towards empowering women, who constitute a majority of the agricultural labor force but face systemic barriers to land ownership, credit, and other vital inputs. Its successful implementation is crucial for unlocking the full potential of the sector and achieving national food security objectives.

The Federal Government of Nigeria recently marked a significant milestone in its efforts to bolster food security and promote gender equality with the formal validation of the Revised National Gender Policy on Agrifood Systems Transformation for Nigeria (NGPAST) and its Strategic Plan of Action for 2025–2030. This pivotal development, announced on May 5 or 6, 2026, by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), signifies a renewed commitment to integrating gender-responsive approaches across all agricultural programmes and interventions. The policy is designed as a practical framework to ensure equitable access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making for both women and men within the agricultural sector, aiming to build a more inclusive, productive, and sustainable agricultural economy.

Agriculture remains central to Nigeria's national priorities, contributing significantly to food security, employment, and economic growth. However, persistent gender disparities have historically limited the full participation of many Nigerians, particularly women, who play critical roles across the agrifood value chain. Despite women constituting over 60% of the agricultural labor force, they own less than 20% of farmland and face significant challenges in accessing credit, inputs, extension services, and technology. This article delves into the legal and practical implications of the newly approved NGPAST, examining its alignment with existing domestic and international legal frameworks and highlighting the critical steps required for its effective implementation to achieve its ambitious goals of gender equity and enhanced food security.

Nigeria's commitment to gender equality and food security is underpinned by various constitutional provisions and international obligations. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, contains provisions prohibiting sex-based discrimination under Sections 15(2) and 42(1). Furthermore, Section 17 outlines the elimination of demographically derived disparities as a fundamental objective of state policy, including the principle of equal pay for equal work. Sections 43 and 44 also guarantee every Nigerian citizen the right to acquire and own immovable property in any part of the country, theoretically extending this right to women.

Internationally, Nigeria has ratified key human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1985 and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). CEDAW, particularly Article 14, specifically addresses the rights of rural women, advocating for their access to agricultural credit, loans, marketing facilities, appropriate technology, and equal treatment in land and agrarian reform. The Maputo Protocol similarly aims to abolish discrimination against women in access to land and productive resources, providing a comprehensive framework for women's economic empowerment. However, a significant legal challenge in Nigeria is that international treaties, including CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol, are not directly enforceable until they are domesticated into national law by the National Assembly, as stipulated by Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution.

Despite the constitutional guarantees and international commitments, the practical reality for women in Nigerian agriculture has been fraught with challenges. Customary laws, which often operate concurrently with statutory laws, frequently override formal legal provisions, particularly concerning women's land ownership and inheritance rights. Many traditional practices deny women outright inheritance of land based on marital status or local customs, effectively disenfranchising them from a primary productive asset. This systemic discrimination is a major contributor to the higher rates of food insecurity experienced by female-headed households.

The Revised National Gender Policy on Agrifood Systems Transformation for Nigeria (NGPAST) seeks to bridge these gaps by providing a clear and practical framework for equitable access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making. The policy's emphasis on strengthening gender-responsive approaches across agricultural programs is crucial, as previous initiatives, such as the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, have been criticized for insufficient gender integration. The NGPAST's strategic plan for 2025–2030, developed in collaboration with partners like ActionAid Nigeria, AGRA, and GIZ, outlines measurable targets and stronger accountability mechanisms, which are vital for moving beyond mere policy formulation to tangible impact.

While the policy is a commendable step, its success hinges on robust implementation and enforcement, particularly in addressing the deeply entrenched customary barriers. The Nigerian Supreme Court's 2014 rulings, which invalidated customary laws denying women property rights as unconstitutional, provide a strong judicial precedent that the NGPAST can leverage. However, legislative efforts to codify gender equality, such as the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, have faced significant opposition, highlighting the socio-cultural and religious hurdles that must be overcome. The policy must therefore be accompanied by sustained advocacy, legal reforms at state levels, and community sensitization programs to challenge patriarchal attitudes and ensure that women's land rights are not merely recognized on paper but are effectively realized in practice.

Furthermore, the policy's focus on inclusivity extends beyond land rights to encompass access to credit, improved seeds, fertilizers, extension services, and markets, which are critical for enhancing women farmers' productivity and income. The integration of initiatives like the 'Every Home a Garden' program and the 'Renewed Hope Mechanization Programme,' which prioritizes women farmers, demonstrates a multi-faceted approach to empowering women in agriculture. However, effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, as promised by the Ministry, will be essential to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and ensure that interventions genuinely reach and benefit rural women farmers, who are often the most marginalized.

The approval of the Revised National Gender Policy on Agrifood Systems Transformation for Nigeria represents a critical and timely intervention by the Federal Government to address systemic gender inequalities that impede food security. For legal practitioners, this policy provides a robust framework for advocating for women's rights in agriculture, particularly concerning land tenure, access to resources, and participation in decision-making processes. Attorneys should familiarize themselves with the policy's provisions and leverage existing constitutional protections and Supreme Court precedents to challenge discriminatory customary practices and ensure the policy's objectives are realized at all levels.

Moving forward, practitioners should closely monitor the implementation of the NGPAST and its Strategic Plan of Action for 2025–2030, paying particular attention to the establishment of strong monitoring and accountability mechanisms. The true measure of this policy's success will lie in its ability to translate its progressive aspirations into tangible improvements in the lives of rural women farmers. Continued collaboration between government, civil society, and development partners, coupled with sustained legal advocacy and community engagement, will be paramount to overcoming entrenched barriers and fostering an inclusive, equitable, and food-secure agricultural sector in Nigeria.