By Fasilat Oluwuyi

When Hadizah Sunday, a female farmer in the Saki West local Government area of Oyo State heard of a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrower Programme loan from a friend, she was happy that this would finally help her farming business. The funds would help Hadiza to expand her farmland in Ataye, Saki and grow other crops like yam. She made an inquiry at a microfinance bank but after several efforts, the loan did not come through. She says her inability and that of other women farmers to access credit has been a huge setback for farming business in Oyo State.

Picture: Hadizah Sunday in Saki West LG on her farm

In Oyo State, women farmers in rural communities’ struggle to access credit, gender friendly farm implements and other supports despite numerous agricultural interventions by the government. This is compounded by insecurity in the state as herders’ cattle often destroy their crops.

Gender inequality in loan disbursement

In Nigeria, women make 70-80 percent of the agriculture workforce, especially rural women according to reports by the Civil Resource and Documentation centre(CIRDC)and the Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre(WARDC). Women farmers are responsible for 70 percent of the food produced for consumption in the country, yet gender inequalities continue to exist in the farming business. One of the oldest initiatives managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF) in collaboration with the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Development (FMARD). This fund guarantees up to 75% of every credit extended to farmers under the scheme in case of any eventuality that may lead to loan repayment default. While the credit support is targeted at both male and female farmers, findings show that the scheme has continued to benefit more male farmers in Oyo state than female farmers.

According to the gender data in the ACGSF report of the CBN a total of N2,859,844,000 billion was given out as credit to 16,815 farmers in Oyo state from 2015 and 2022. The report revealed that male farmers got the highest amount totalling N661,345,000 while female farmers got N289,900,000 between 2015 and 2020. In 2015, a total of 4,028 beneficiaries got the sum of N749,949,050 as loan support in Oyo state, out of which 2,753 male farmers received N601,602,050 while 1,273 female farmers got N135,315,000. Similarly in 2016, the sum of N585, 335,000 loan was given to 5,228 beneficiaries. 2,683 male farmers got N403,050,000 while 2,545 female farmers received N182, 285,000.

From 2017, women’s access to credit facilities started to shrink and the number of women beneficiaries in Oyo started to decrease further. Out of a total of N307,405,000 given to 2,158 beneficiaries in 2017, 1,468 male farmers received N245, 810,000 while 689 female farmers got N57,895,000. In 2018, 1,200 male farmers got the sum of N234, 925,000 as loan support with only 173 women getting N27,560,000. From January to October 2020, ACGSF data on gender disaggregation of beneficiaries of CBN loan shows that men continued to get the larger chunk of loan support even though women account for 70-80 percent in the agriculture workforce.

Out of the total sum of N162,420,000 given to a total of 815 beneficiaries, 691 men got N140, 260,000 while only 124 women received the sum of N22,160,000.

Findings from the CBN reports on the ACGSF loan shows that gender data of beneficiaries were missing from its 2019, 2021 and 2022 reports. A report of the activities under the scheme which ought to include relevant gender data were not available for the three years.

Sakirat Adeniran has been farming for 30 years in Tokun Idode Oyo East local government.

Picture: Sakirat Adeniran in Oyo East LG on her farm

She has not benefited from any loan support from either the CBN or the state government. Sakirat grows maize, cassava, cowpeas among others and went alongside other female farmers to her local government secretariat to enquire about the loan as this would help her to increase her produce line. She was directed to visit a microfinance bank, but after two fruitless attempts she gave up hope. ‘‘We only hear about all the loans support that the government is giving out to farmers. We did not benefit from it. Women hardly benefit from all the money they have been lending farmers.”

Suabatu Musbau

Another female farmer in Oyo East LG who has been into farming for over 20 years growing crops such as beans, maize amongst others narrated how in her attempt to get a loan was made to submit passport photographs at different times, took pictures and paid a certain amount of money yet did not get the loan.

Picture: Suabatu Musbau in Oyo East on her farm

After hearing of the loan opportunity to help farmers in the state, Baliqees Adebayo who has been into farming for over 30years growing crops like cassava and others in Ibarapa Central submitted passport photographs and BVN all to no avail.

Picture: Baliqees Adebayo in Ibarapa Central LG on her farm

The story of women farmers in Iseyin and Saki East Local government areas are not different. They lamented how the inability to access credit to finance their farming has been a huge challenge and set back despite many agricultural interventions, loans and other credit facilities available for farmers in the state. These are women who are both breadwinners and supporting their husbands, children and extended families to survive.

Loan reports fail to show gender data

The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) launched by former President Buhari in 2015 was created to support farmers in accessing credit to finance farming and increase agricultural productivity in the country. The ABP loan was designed to deepen financial inclusion and grow smallholder farmers from subsistence to commercial farming with targeted beneficiaries as smallholder farmers and medium to large scale farmers who are engaged in the production of agricultural commodities in Nigeria. Though the CBN claimed it had disbursed a total of N1.1 trillion, smallholder women farmers across the five LGAs; Oyo East; Iseyin; Saki West, Saki East and Ibarapa Central in Oyo rural communities interviewed said they are yet to benefit from any government loan. Over the years, CBN reports have consistently omitted the gender disaggregation of ABP’s beneficiaries, despite the application form mandating intended beneficiaries to specify their gender.

Women are left out

According to a 2022 report by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Gender Centre of Excellence, about 98 percent of Nigerian women are unable to get loans from Nigerian financial institutions. The report says women in rural areas and those with low education and limited decision-making power are excluded from credit facilities. The statistics reflect the challenges of women farmers in the five LGAs visited who said they are yet to benefit from any loan intervention despite their efforts. Gender differences in loan approvals, the report recommended, should be documented. Analysing gender disaggregated data would help to reveal the implicit biases in the supply of formal financial services. Highlighting the inequalities smallholder women farmers face, Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria,(SWOFON) Oyo State in its charter of demand noted that though intervention programmes such as that of CBN and the World Bank’s Fadama exist in the state, its members have not benefited from any.

Aside the ACGSF Fund and the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN, the Oyo State Agriculture Development Agency (OYSADA) said it has provided series of interventions and support to farmers in the state. Over N207 billion was allocated to the Oyo State ministry of Agriculture between 2019 and 2023. The Oyo State Agric credit corporation was allocated over N527 million in five years between 2019 and 2023. Women farmers interviewed in the five LGAs said they did not benefit from these interventions despite efforts in applying for loans. Suaibatu Musbau, a farmer in Oyo East LG said, “the government made many promises to give us bags of fertiliser but these promises are empty.”

Ineffective National gender policy on agriculture

In 2019, the National Gender Policy on Agriculture was introduced in Nigeria. The policy, according to Sabo Nanono, was aimed at enhancing the equality of access to resources by farmers. “The National Gender Policy in Agriculture is expected to drastically reduce the vulnerability of women to biases in agriculture, address the unequal gender power relation and bridge gender gap.’’ Four years after, the policy is just another paperwork without proper implementation. The Policy which was hinged on the National Gender Policy (2006) and its Strategic Implementation Framework (2008) as developed by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is yet to be executed and accounted for. Despite government interventions in the Agricultural sector both by the Federal and State Government, the National Gender policy has failed to reduce gender inequalities in Agric sector.

Battle with insecurity

Despite the inequalities in agricultural intervention programmes, the financial constraints and lack of support from government faced by women farmers in Oyo rural communities, they also contend with insecurity from herders. Ibijola Aderoju, a farmer and widow in Saki East LG had planted close to eight hectares of beans this year while expecting to yield a bountiful harvest and bring good profit. Ibijola recounted how one fateful morning, while inspecting her farm, she found out that all the beans on the farm had been destroyed by cattles.

Picture: Ibijola Aderoju on one of her farms

A devastating Ibijola was shocked at the destruction caused to cut short her harvesting plans a shock to her considering the many plans she already had for the harvest. ‘‘The beans that were destroyed by the cattle were more than 8-hectares of land. They did not allow me to see the reward of my hard work.’’

Sakirat Adeniran said she and other women farmers in Oyo East can no longer go to their farms alone for fear of insecurity. According to Sakirat the Fulanis are becoming a threat to them on the farm everyday. She and other women farmers have now resorted to going to the farm accompanied by men as they go in fear and cannot confront the Fulanis alone. ‘‘If the Fulani’s should meet us on the farm, they will say they will marry us, any money they find on us that we are supposed to use for feeding they will collect them. We do not know what to do about them anymore, they have taken over our farmland at our side in Tokun, we are helpless.’’ Suabatu Musbau in Oyo East LGA said ‘‘We can no longer stay long on our farm the way we used to do before now. The Fulanis are taking over our farms, look down there, pointing to her farmland, they have eaten most of the beans and maize that we planted. They will not let us rest.’’  Women farmers in other LGAs visited also cited insecurity as a challenge on their farms calling on the government and law enforcement agents deployed to the LGAs and around the farm to protect them.

In its National Development Plan 2021-2025, the Federal Government cited food insecurity as a major concern in the country due to a decline in food security. There have been calls to the state governments to enforce anti-open grazing law promulgated in 2020 but this has not been done. Baliqees Adebayo, a farmer in Ibarapa Central LG said despite their struggles as women farmers, the cattles prevent them from having good harvest. ‘‘If we plant cassava and maize, these cattle do not let us get a good harvest at the end of the day despite all our struggles. We call on the government to come to our aid on this Fulani herders’ issue.

Cry for help!

Women farmers in various LGAs in Oyo urgently appeal for support to access interest-free loans, equipment and other forms of assistance to boost their farming activities. “I rely solely on farming for survival. With no other viable employment options, government’s support in the form of interest-free loans would significantly enhance my farming business” said Suabatu Musbau from Oyo East. Sakirat Adeniran also in Oyo East LGA expresses her desire to expand her farming business but laments the lack of funding resources. “The government’s neglect is deeply distressing. We, as women farmers, deserve equitable access to government assistance. Despite owning and cultivating significant agricultural land, I am unable to expand my operations due to financial constraints. I implore the government to extend its support to us.”  In Ibarapa central, Baliqees stresses the importance of government’s support in the form of interest-free loans, fertilisers, sprayers and gender-sensitive equipment to enhance female farmers’ productivity. Ibijola Aderoju calls for support in acquiring farming equipment and securing loans to improve agricultural practices. Hadizah Sunday from Saki West echoes the sentiments of many women farmers, highlighting the struggles they face without adequate support. She pleads with the government to prioritise assistance for female farmers to alleviate their plight. Concerns regarding exclusion from farmer associations are also raised, with Hadiza who said women are often overlooked in such gatherings.

Investigations across the five LGAs reveal that many rural women farmers are not part of any exclusive women-only farmer associations and lack awareness of organisations like SWOFON designed to address their needs. Rukayat Lukman in Iseyin LG said she does not belong to any associations because women farmers in the area are never invited to meetings.

Picture: Rukayat Lukman in Iseyin LG on her maize farm

Picture:Rukayat Lukman in Iseyin LG on her cassava farm.

‘‘It is only men that attend these meetings. If we women can also gather so they can support us, we would form our own association so they can help us. As they are giving farmers support items like fertiliser, we are yet to receive anything. The men are not even showing us what is going on. We call on the government to assist us so we can also be beneficiaries of these loans by having a separate support for women farmers which will be different from that of men.’’

Support for women farmers not enough

Oyo state coordinator for Smallholder Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria, Atinuke Akinbade said most of the support that they get as an association are inadequate to cater to its large members. She said the association is planning to organise a sensitisation rally to reach women farmers in underserved communities who are unaware of SWOFON. Akinbade said they do not have access to loans. ‘‘We divide ourselves by ten and we contribute money. Aside from this we do not get any other loan support. She called on the government to support women farmers in the state with grants, loans, fertiliser, machines amongst others.

The Director Agric Tech, Oyo State Agriculture Development Agency (OYSADA), Joseph Ilori said it is only responsible for farmers who are medium and large-scale farmers directing that the reporter contacts another department in the Agric Ministry.

Not every women farmer can access credit facilities, says OYO Agriculture ministry

The Director, Agricultural Extension Services Oyo State, Razaq Moruf attributed the problem of low access to credit by women farmers to inability to secure guarantors while some of the loans target certain geographical locations. Moruf said most of the interventions and programmes in the state such as GIZ and GAIN give 30 percent to women farmers but if the women farmers are not from the LGAs the programmes and interventions are being conducted, they would not benefit. ‘‘Most of the programme stipulates that 40 percent should be youths, while 30 percent will be women and others to partake. So, I would not say they have not been benefiting, it depends on where they are. We try as much as possible to give a substantial part of the allocation to the women farmers. And in fact, we have a unit under our department dealing with women, we call it women in Agriculture.’’  Moruf said there are plans to extend the location of the GAIN programme to take in new farmers. ‘‘There are still plans, I don’t know, if we can get the location of those farmers, because we held a meeting recently with GAIN and they have thrown it open that they still want to take in new farmers so if we can get the location, I can easily give my staff their villages so that they can be captured under the gain programme.’’

This report was done with support from the Women Radio Centre and the MacArthur Foundation.