Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Iman Sulaiman-Ibrahim,

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Iman Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening women’s economic participation in agriculture through the Renewed Hope Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) programme.

The minister made this known during a working visit to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Kubwa site in Abuja, where she observed ongoing agricultural activities and engagements involving women entrepreneurs.

During the tour, she witnessed firsthand the increasing role women are playing in advancing structured agribusiness enterprises through innovation, discipline and enterprise development. The visit offered practical insights into how beneficiaries are transitioning from subsistence farming into organised agribusiness models that boost household incomes while contributing to sustainable national food systems.

Discussions at the institute highlighted progress in strengthening organised production systems, improving value addition, and integrating women more effectively into structured agricultural value chains. The minister noted that these measurable gains align closely with the objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Women Agro-Value Expansion Initiative, which seeks to expand opportunities for women across the agricultural value chain through enhanced capacity building, enterprise development and improved market access.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim emphasised that empowering women in agriculture remains central to inclusive economic growth and long-term national food security. She also expressed optimism about deepening collaboration with IITA to scale impact, strengthen technical expertise and consolidate existing gains.

Stakeholders present at the engagement described the visit as both timely and strategic, stressing that coordinated efforts between government and research institutions are essential to expanding opportunities for women in agribusiness. They commended the alignment between policy direction and implementation on the ground, noting that sustained partnerships will be key to driving inclusive growth across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The Renewed Hope Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) Programme is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development aimed at integrating women into agricultural value chains through targeted training, access to finance and stronger market linkages.