The Presidency has launched a bespoke Urban Agriculture Training Programme to empower women in Lagos State.
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security initiated the programme in collaboration with UNESCO REF and the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) Lagos State Chapter.
Okay News reports that Senior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security, Yejide Ogundipe, spoke during the formal inauguration of the initiative on Thursday.
Ogundipe reaffirmed the programme’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She stressed that women farmers must be recognised as vital contributors to Nigeria’s food security.
The initiative is designed to strengthen the Lagos State agricultural food system while empowering women through innovation, sustainability, and financial inclusion.
The programme, themed “Seed of Empowerment: Growing Women in Lagos,” equips women with tools, knowledge, and opportunities to thrive in urban farming.
According to her, the initiative aligns with the National Agricultural Technology Innovation Policy (NATIP) and connects directly with the N500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund under the Produce for Lagos Programme.
Participants are guaranteed a steady income every two to three weeks, ensuring that empowerment translates into tangible financial stability for households.
Organisers announced plans to expand the bespoke programme in 2026, targeting at least 120,000 women across all local governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State.
The President of UNESCO REF, Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, said the bespoke programme is not charity but empowerment.
He stated that philanthropy provides immediate relief, but capacity building empowers individuals to achieve financial freedom and long-term sustainability.
Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan added that beyond Lagos, the mission is envisioned to be taken across the federation, ensuring that women in every state of Nigeria benefit from sustainable agricultural empowerment.
Chairperson of Lagos State POWA, Mrs. Risqat Jimoh, highlighted the importance of women’s empowerment at both local and national levels.
She noted that each participant would receive a Tier 2 certificate, which not only recognizes training but also guarantees subsidised entry for their children into future agricultural programmes.
This ensures that empowerment becomes generational, extending benefits beyond immediate participants.
To ensure participants can immediately apply their training, each woman received varieties of seeds to kickstart their learning and farming practice.
A participant and beneficiary of the programme, Aisha Abiola Sanni, described the programme as an alternative means for financial income.
She explained that as a youth corps member, the opportunity positions her to save and prepare for completing her service year and future plans.
The bespoke initiative is supported by partners including National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Institute of Agriculture Research and Training (IAR&T), The Lichfield, Op3n Labs USA, and Women’s Space USA.
