The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Jigawa State Chapter, has called on the state government to increase agricultural funding from the current average of 6.58 per cent of the state budget to the 10 per cent benchmark under the African Union’s Malabo Declaration, according to a report by the International Budget Partnership (IBP). The demand was made during a press briefing in Jigawa State, where SWOFON presented findings from its budget accountability assessment conducted between 2021 and 2025. The report highlighted that agriculture accounted for an average of 6.58 per cent of Jigawa’s approved budgets during the period, falling short of the 10 per cent target set by the Malabo Declaration.
The assessment noted that Jigawa’s agricultural capital expenditure recorded an average execution rate of 65.9 per cent, outperforming other states in the study. Among the five states evaluated—Nasarawa, Niger, Anambra, and Oyo—Nasarawa had the highest execution rate at 72.6 per cent, followed by Jigawa. Niger recorded 44.4 per cent, while Anambra and Oyo lagged at 29.3 per cent and 17.5 per cent, respectively. Despite this, the report praised Jigawa for institutionalizing women farmers’ participation in the budget process, calling it a “standing practice” rather than an annual negotiation.
SWOFON emphasized that Jigawa is the only state among the five where women farmers’ priorities are directly linked to specific budget lines. The report cited the SWOFON Charter of Demands as being traceable to dedicated gender budget segments covering health, education, and agriculture. This framework, developed through sustained advocacy by women farmers, has enabled deeper engagement in public budgeting, according to the organization.
The assessment also highlighted Jigawa’s systematic documentation of agricultural interventions for women farmers, including pumps, processing kilns, and N50,000 grants distributed to 13,680 members—the largest membership base among the five states. However, SWOFON pointed out that the state lacks data on the actual reach of these interventions, noting that “Jigawa has not yet calculated how far its distributed pumps, kilns, and grants stretch across its 13,680-member base.”
Land access emerged as a critical constraint for women farmers in Jigawa, with the report identifying customary land tenure norms as a “binding constraint.” While 84.9 per cent of surveyed SWOFON members reported improved land access, 24.5 per cent stated they did not own land. The organization recommended transparent documentation of beneficiary plots, tenure arrangements, and grievance mechanisms for future land-based interventions. It also called for stronger links between women farmers and farm settlements, irrigation schemes, and state land-allocation programs.
SWOFON further urged the government to expand support beyond production to address post-harvest challenges. The report cited weak storage, processing, transportation, and market access as barriers to income growth for smallholder women farmers. To address this, the organization recommended connecting farmers to aggregation centers, processing facilities, storage infrastructure, and agricultural value chains. It also called for institutionalizing citizen participation at the local government level to ensure accountability.
The report concluded that Jigawa has established a foundation for stronger women farmer participation, citing its “institutionalized participation, dedicated gender budget segment, and strongest documented delivery record.” However, SWOFON emphasized the need to “close the remaining allocation gap” by aligning agricultural funding with the Malabo Declaration’s 10 per cent benchmark. The organization also called for regular government-women farmers’ accountability engagements and public reporting of allocations, expenditures, and beneficiary numbers.
The findings underscore the urgent need for policy reforms to empower women farmers, who form a critical pillar of Nigeria’s agricultural sector. SWOFON’s recommendations aim to address systemic gaps in funding, land rights, and market access, which remain pivotal to achieving the Malabo Declaration’s goals of food security and sustainable development in the region.
The assessment, conducted in partnership with the International Budget Partnership, provides a roadmap for Jigawa to build on its progress while addressing persistent challenges. As the state moves forward, the role of women farmers in shaping agricultural policy will remain central to ensuring equitable growth and resilience in the face of climate and economic uncertainties.