ASABA/Nigeria: As part of activities marking the 2025 World Food Day, the Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre (ENVIRUMEDIC), in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR) and with support from ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), on Thursday, October 22, 2025, hosted an engaging and solution-driven agricultural dialogue in Asaba. The event, held at Orchid Hotel, was tagged “SWOFON Interactive Forum with MDAs” and brought together policymakers, civil society actors, and smallholder women farmers to strengthen collaboration toward sustainable food systems and agricultural development in Delta State.
In his welcome presentation, Mr. Lucky Enegide, Senior Programme Officer of ENVIRUMEDIC, outlined the objectives of the forum, explaining that it was designed to create a platform for smallholder women farmers to engage with government agencies, duty bearers, and other critical stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
“The forum provides an avenue for smallholder women farmers to interact directly with policymakers, push for greater inclusion in agricultural policies and programmes, and advocate for increased budgetary allocation to priority areas that support women farmers,” Enegide stated.
Speaking on the significance of the event, the Chief Executive Officer of ENVIRUMEDIC, Chief Monday Itoghor, highlighted the importance of World Food Day, globally celebrated every October 16, as a platform to inspire collective action toward achieving food security and ending hunger in line with Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The theme of this year’s World Food Day emphasizes global cooperation in building a peaceful, sustainable, and food-secure future,” Itoghor noted. “This forum is designed to domesticate that theme by fostering collaboration and driving innovative actions that promote food rights and address the challenges confronting our agricultural systems.”
Itoghor explained that the interactive session sought to identify practical solutions to the gaps in food affordability, accessibility, and safety, urging participants to work collectively to make nutritious food available to all.
“We must address the factors that prevent people from accessing healthy food. Sustainable agriculture, fair food distribution, responsible consumption, and collaboration among stakeholders are crucial to building a resilient food system,” he emphasized.
The ENVIRUMEDIC CEO further recommended that government and relevant agencies promote knowledge around agroecology, curb harmful farming practices, and increase budgetary allocations to agriculture, particularly in support of smallholder farmers. He also called for improved storage and processing facilities, strengthened post-harvest management, and enhanced access to inputs and financing to boost productivity.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Kazeem Abdulazeez of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture commended ENVIRUMEDIC and its partners for their consistency in promoting agricultural sustainability and smallholder empowerment, noting that such dialogues were critical to ending poverty and achieving lasting food security in Nigeria.
Similarly, Mrs. Grace Osadjoku, Coordinator of the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Delta State chapter, lauded ENVIRUMEDIC for its longstanding advocacy and empowerment programmes that have significantly improved the productivity and resilience of women farmers in the state.
Other speakers, including Mr. Christopher Aghuno of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Mr. Conrad Ajeboh, Deputy Director, Agricultural Services Department, MANR, and Mr. Ndubuisi Osy of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), underscored the need for stronger policy implementation, government collaboration, and stakeholder synergy to tackle food insecurity and revitalize Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
They collectively called for policies that will make agriculture more attractive to youth, ensure better insurance coverage for farmers, and provide incentives for local processing and value addition.
The highlight of the event was a brainstorming session that identified key challenges in the agricultural sector and proposed actionable strategies to address them. The session concluded with the presentation of a Charter of Demands by SWOFON to critical government agencies, advocating greater inclusion and support for smallholder women farmers.
Participants at the forum were drawn from a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Delta State House of Assembly, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Young Farmers Association, and various women’s cooperatives. Also in attendance were Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli, Executive Director of Bel Media Consult and publisher of Ndokwa Reporters Newspaper, Pst. Maxwell Unosha, Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, and Comrade Emeka Nwokocha, a veteran journalist, among others.
The interactive forum was widely described by participants as a timely and impactful initiative that reinforced the call for inclusive, sustainable, and women-centered agricultural development in Delta State and across Nigeria.
