By Ama Obido
Enugu, Aug. 27, 2026 (NAN) The Enugu State Government has commended women beneficiaries of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) for contributing to food production and processing.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, made the commendation at the celebration of the 2026 International Year of Women Farmers (IYWF) in Enugu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer to highlight the essential roles women play in global agri-food systems.
The initiative focuses on recognising women’s contributions to food security, nutrition and economic resilience.
Speaking on behalf of the commissioner, the State Project Coordinator, VCDP, Dr Edward Isiwu, expressed satisfaction with the achievements of women beneficiaries of the programme in the state.
Isiwu disclosed that more than 80 per cent of VCDP beneficiaries were women, who were contributing to various agricultural value chains across the benefitting LGAs of the state.
He commended Gov. Peter Mbah for his administration’s support to farmers, particularly women, saying that the governor had consistently provided counterpart funding for agricultural programmes.
Isiwu said that IFAD had an empowerment reach across the world through VCDP and was currently implementing the programme in nine states in Nigeria, including Enugu.
“Food security is the key objective of the programme, as farming is now a lucrative activity,” he said.
The Director of Gender, Enugu State Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Esther Mbah, encouraged women to engage in farming, saying that their contributions greatly benefit their families and society.
“You can see that they are no longer vulnerable, rather, they are more independent,” Mbah said.
Mrs Eucharia Anyibuofu, a beneficiary from Enugu East LGA and the State Treasurer of VCDP Women Network, said she previously regarded farming as a menial job for old people but had changed her perception.
Anyibuofu said farming had become a sustainable source of income for her, adding that she had received substantial support from VCDP, including tricycles and logistics to facilitate the transportation of farm produce to markets.
Another participant, Mrs Felicia Aneke, Chairperson, VCDP Women Network, Udenu LGA, said she was no longer a peasant farmer but now engaged in commercial agriculture.
Aneke thanked IFAD-VCDP for providing her with herbicides, fertiliser and cassava stems.
“I registered as a producer in VCDP, but now, I am also a processor and marketer of food produce,” she said.
Similarly, the VCDP State Women Network Chairperson, Mrs Lovelyn Ejim, hailed the programme for reaching out to the women in the state and transforming their lives.
“I have been in the rice production for years. But today, I am not just a producer but equally a processor and a marketer.
“This wouldn’t have been possible, if not for the intervention of IFAD-VCDP,” Ejim said.
Other highlights of the event were the presentation by different women groups and award presentation to the best performed women in different categories. (NAN)
ACO/USO
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