SWOFON attributes lack land ownership among women to livelihood strategies

Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), has expressed concern that land ownership is exceptionally low among women, saying it limits their ability to explore land-based livelihood strategies.

The National President of SWOFON, Mary Afan, told newsmen in Abuja that women make up most of the Nigeria’s rural labor force,  but male are 5 times more likely to own land than females.

According her, National Bureau of Statistic estimated that the 2nd largest male land ownership is North West with 50.1% as against 4.7%, South east records 38.15 male own lands as against10.6% foe females who own lands.

She estimated 54 million of Nigeria 78million women are based in rural areas hence their livelihood come from the use of land for different farming techniques.

According to her, as stated in the Nigerian land use act of 1978, All land in Nigeria has been nationalized and vested authority has been given to Government at the State and Federal level and entrusted on behalf of all citizens.

“In Rural Nigeria, Land Ownership is one of the key limiting factors of production among female farmers. Land access is challenged by the way Land is inherited and owned in most ethnic groups in Nigeria who are patriarchalespecially in the southern Nigeria.

“This is also affected by patrilineal inheritance (from father to Son), traditional authority structures that tend to give men decision-making control over women and People with special needs in allspheres of Life.

She said these affects their ability to acess finance by using land as collateral property, which often delays investment decisions or reduces the earning potential of women farmers.

She called for a review of Customary land laws for small scale women farmers  to inherit land for sustainability.

“Arable farm land should be allocated to smallholder women farmers’ cooperatives. Government should commit to smallholder women farmers in the area of implementation of policies.

“There should be creation of dual passage roads for agricultural produce in order to boost access to market.

“Government should provide smallholder women farmers with mechanised farming equipment such as Tractors, Silos, Milling machines, Storage facilities, processing facilities,” she said.

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