FG, BOA Launch RH-WAVE Partnership to Empower 3 Million Women Farmers

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has entered into a strategic partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to expand access to agricultural finance and support for women farmers under the Renewed Hope Women Agro-Value Expansion (RH-WAVE) Programme.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Abuja on Monday, is aimed at empowering no fewer than three million women farmers over the next three to five years through affordable financing, mechanisation, capacity building, agro-processing and improved market access.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, described the agreement as a significant step towards eliminating barriers that have long prevented women from participating fully in commercial agriculture.

She said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises inclusive economic growth, food security and sustainable development through the economic empowerment of women.

According to the Minister, although women make up a large proportion of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, many remain excluded from formal credit facilities and lack access to modern farming equipment, quality inputs, infrastructure and profitable markets.

She explained that the RH-WAVE Programme was designed to support women across the entire agricultural value chain, including land preparation, access to improved seedlings and fertilisers, mechanised farming, greenhouse cultivation, processing, packaging, value addition and market linkages.

“The objective is to move women beyond subsistence farming into profitable agribusinesses capable of creating wealth, generating employment and strengthening Nigeria’s food security,” she said.

Earlier, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Projects presented an overview of the programme, noting that RH-WAVE has been integrated into the Ministry’s Economic Services, Women Development and Gender Departments to ensure effective implementation and sustainability.

She disclosed that the programme has attracted widespread interest since its launch by President Tinubu in Nasarawa State, where ₦1 million grants were presented to women entrepreneurs.

According to her, over 200,000 women have already registered to participate in the initiative through various partner platforms.

She added that the collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture provides the institutional support needed to deliver affordable credit, agricultural inputs, entrepreneurship training, agro-processing facilities and business development services to women farmers nationwide.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Esuabaro Nko Asanye, described the partnership as a milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment through agriculture.

She said women remain the backbone of household food production and expressed confidence that the initiative would accelerate their transition into commercial farming while boosting national food security.

Mrs. Asanye also commended the management of the Bank of Agriculture for supporting the Ministry’s vision of building a new generation of successful women agripreneurs.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotiorin, said the partnership is built on three strategic pillars to improve opportunities for women farmers.

He explained that the first component provides concessional agricultural loans through Farmer Aggregation Companies at an interest rate below 10 per cent annually for the first 10,000 women farmers, alongside a dedicated greenhouse financing scheme to encourage climate-smart agriculture.

According to him, the second component focuses on establishing co-branded WAVE-BOA AgriHubs equipped with tractors, solar-powered dryers and modern agro-processing equipment, benefiting from the Federal Government’s 40 per cent Presidential subsidy on agricultural machinery.

He said the facilities would be managed primarily by women to promote rural enterprises, improve productivity and increase value addition.

The third component, he added, provides a structured aggregation and marketing system that will guarantee the purchase of farm produce at prices above prevailing market rates, ensuring stable incomes and stronger market linkages for women farmers.

Sotiorin said implementation of the programme would begin in Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi and Nasarawa states before expanding to other parts of the country.

He reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to providing innovative financial products and strategic support that would enable women farmers to adopt modern agricultural technologies and build sustainable agribusinesses.

The Minister further stated that the MoU establishes a governance framework comprising a Joint Steering Committee, Programme Management Unit and State Coordination Nodes to oversee implementation, monitor progress and ensure accountability.

She said both institutions would immediately begin programme planning, mapping of Farmer Aggregation Companies and identification of locations for the proposed AgriHubs.

The signing of the agreement marks the commencement of a partnership expected to improve rural livelihoods, increase food production, create jobs and strengthen women’s participation in Nigeria’s agricultural and economic development.

By Sophina Ovuike, Abuja 

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