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Farmers across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the government, private investors and development partners to provide more farmland, tractors, modern equipment and processing facilities to boost food production and improve their livelihoods.
The call was made at the 2026 FCT Farmers’ Day and International Year of Women Farmers Celebration organised by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), FCT Chapter, in partnership with Visionary Women in Agricultural Development in Africa (VIWADA), with support from the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat.
The two-day event, held from October 13 to 14 at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Art and Culture, Area 10, Garki, Abuja, brought together farmers, government officials, investors, development partners and other agricultural stakeholders.
AFAN National Deputy President, Chief Daniel Okafor, commended farmers for their efforts in feeding the nation and producing agricultural commodities for export despite rising production costs and dwindling access to farmland.
He particularly praised FCT farmers for sustaining agricultural activities amid increasing pressure on available land from housing and other development projects.
Okafor urged the government and relevant stakeholders to make farming easier by providing farmers with adequate land, improved inputs, modern equipment and other essential resources to increase productivity.
In her welcome address, AFAN FCT Chairman and Founder and President of VIWADA, Hon. (Lady) Perpetual Nkechi Okafor, said the celebration was designed to recognise farmers’ contributions to food and nutrition security while connecting them with investors, modern technologies and practical agricultural solutions.
She disclosed that AFAN FCT has more than 5,000 members across the six Area Councils, noting that its annual Farmers’ Day, which began in 2024, provides a platform for knowledge sharing, exhibition of farm produce and the development of partnerships across the agricultural value chain.
Okafor identified access to land for cluster farming, modern equipment, cottage industries and agricultural processing centres as major needs of farmers in the territory.
She said the facilities would help reduce post-harvest losses, create employment, increase farmers’ incomes and strengthen food security.
The VIWADA president also appealed for the release of tractors reportedly lying unused at the premises of the National Agricultural Seeds Council, urging authorities to make them available to farmers. She further called for gender-friendly equipment that both women and men could operate efficiently.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the National Agricultural Development Fund for supporting farmers through interventions, including fertiliser distribution, she urged the government to align future interventions with the different planting seasons across the country.
In her goodwill message, the Acting Mandate Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Hajia Asmau Mukhtar, assured farmers of the Secretariat’s continued support and paid special tribute to women farmers for their resilience and contributions to food production despite numerous challenges.
She described the International Year of Women Farmers as an opportunity to recognise women’s contributions to agriculture and promote greater investment in their participation in the sector.
Similarly, the Director of the Extension Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, represented by Amaka Uyanwa, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to helping farmers increase production and supply raw materials to industries.
She encouraged farmers to embrace modern agricultural technologies and improved farming practices to raise yields, improve livelihoods and contribute to national food security.
The Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, represented by Hon. Bala Amidu Iyah, also called for increased investment in agriculture, improved access to farming inputs, modern storage facilities and better market opportunities for farmers across the territory.
Kingibe stressed that agriculture remained vital to food security, job creation and economic development, adding that farmers deserved greater recognition, encouragement and opportunities to prosper.
The AFAN National Women Leader, Her Excellency Yamusa Ladi, also urged the government and other stakeholders to provide greater support for farmers, particularly women, to strengthen their contribution to national food production.
Representatives of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), OCP Africa, Andron Homes and other organisations congratulated the farmers and expressed support for efforts to improve agricultural production and food security.
The AFAN chairmen of Nasarawa and Rivers States, Hon. Isaac Kigbu and Mr Akanda Godwin Nwagwungwu, respectively, attended the event in solidarity with their FCT counterpart and reaffirmed their commitment to unity and progress within the association.
With the theme, “Celebrating Women Farmers’ Efforts and Impacts, Empowering FCT Smallholder Farmers for Sustainable Growth Towards the Achievement of Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria,” the celebration highlighted the critical role of smallholder farmers, especially women, in feeding households, creating jobs and supporting economic growth.
The organisers urged government agencies, investors, agricultural companies, financial institutions and development partners to move beyond goodwill messages and provide practical support through improved access to land, equipment, finance, markets and processing facilities.
They stressed that empowering farmers was essential to reducing food shortages, curbing post-harvest losses, improving rural livelihoods and securing Nigeria’s food future.