The Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) is eager to kickstart an agriculture project aimed at empowering women in the field, as announced by its Executive Director, Professor Veronica Obatolu, during a recent meeting with Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, the wife of Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Obatolu highlighted the institute’s previous involvement in a joint initiative focusing on enhancing national security through women’s participation in agriculture, alongside POWA and UNESCO REF. The visit aimed to assess IAR&T’s readiness to support the WIA Strategic Intervention Programme ALPHA (SIP- ALPHA) and achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 2.
Acknowledging women’s pivotal role in agriculture, Obatolu emphasized the transformative impact of their involvement across various aspects of the agricultural value chain, including processing, marketing, entrepreneurship, and advocacy.
She expressed gratitude to POWA and UNESCO REF for their collaboration and looked forward to a fruitful partnership in promoting agricultural enterprise among women, particularly police officers’ wives, to enhance national security.
Mrs. Egbetokun commended IAR&T for its contributions to agricultural development, expressing optimism about the upcoming project’s potential to bolster the Federal Government’s food security efforts.
Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, Global Director for UNESCO REF TAP Project, underscored the initiative’s significance in addressing food insecurity, highlighting women’s vital role in agriculture and the urgent need to support them in this sector.
