Women collectives, under the dRPC coalition, collaborated with the federal minsitry of agriculutre and food security, the National Gender Steering Committee (NGSC-NGPA) with funding support from some of its member organizations including ActionAid Nigeria,  AGRA, and Plan International to organize a 1-day National Gender Policy in Agriculture Forum themed ‘Implementing the National Gender Policy in Agriculture towards addressing the Food Security and Nutrition Emergency in Nigeria’ on the 31^st of January 2024

dRPC WECs collective coordinator, Mrs Ruth Agbor, who is also the National President of the Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture described the forum as a follow-up to the meetings and three Retreats and consultative sessions with   stakeholders from September 1st, 2021 till date. From the various consultations and budget analysis, political economy analysis (PEA) of implementing the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, and other analysis, various gaps were identified including the poor awareness, slow pace in implementing the Policy across the States, and paucity of funds for the Steering Committee to undertake supervision and stocktaking missions across the States to document good practices, success stories and key lessons on the Policy implementation.

Sequel to this, the National Gender Steering Committee (NGSC-NGPA) with funding support from some of its member organizations including ActionAid Nigeria, dRPC, AGRA, and Plan International is organizing a 1-day National Gender Policy in Agriculture Forum themed ‘Implementing the National Gender Policy in Agriculture towards addressing the Food Security and Nutrition Emergency in Nigeria’ in November 2023 (exact dates to be decided).

The Forum will ramp up support for the implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, enhance conversations and collaborative actions among key stakeholders from the Government, Academic and Research Institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Development Partners, Private Sector, Farmers Associations, and the Media towards the successful implementation of the Policy and promotion of Food Security across the country. The Forum will also provide a strategic platform to disseminate key findings from ActionAid Nigeria’s Political Economy Analysis of the Implementing the National Gender Policy in Agriculture and the World Bank’s “Unlocking Public Investments to Close Gender Gaps in Agriculture Report” – The Gender Component of the Public Finance Review in Nigeria as well as provide an opportunity for States to be guided on establishing the State Gender Steering Committees to work alongside the National Gender Steering Committee for the Implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture

Goal of the Forum

To scale up and ensure optimal implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture towards enhanced Food and Nutrition Security.

Key Objectives of the Forum

1. To ramp up support as a Community of Practice for the implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, enhance conversations and collaborative actions among key stakeholders from the Government, Academic and Research Institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Development Partners, Private Sector, Farmers Associations, and the Media towards the successful implementation of the Policy and promotion of Food Security across the country.

2. To provide a strategic Platform for stakeholders to learn and share best practices and discuss how to leverage the National Gender Policy in Agriculture in strengthening their interventions across Nigeria.

Outputs

1. Support ramped up as a Community of Practice for the implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture, conversations and collaborative actions enhanced among key stakeholders from the Government, Academic and Research Institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Development Partners, Private Sector, Farmers Associations, and the Media towards the successful implementation of the Policy and promotion of Food Security across the country.
2. A strategic Platform for stakeholders to learn and share best practices and discuss how to leverage the National Gender Policy in Agriculture in strengthening their interventions across Nigeria provided.
3. Key findings from ActionAid Nigeria’s Political Economy Analysis of the Implementing the National Gender Policy in Agriculture and the World Bank’s “Unlocking Public Investments to Close Gender Gaps in Agriculture Report” – The Gender Component of the Public Finance Review in Nigeria disseminated.
4. Stakeholders’ Knowledge on the National Gender Policy in Agriculture improved.
5. Online Community of Practice (WhatsApp group) created to enhance the successful implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture.
6.  Commitment secured from State Ministries of Agriculture on the establishment and inauguration of States Gender Steering Committees for the Implementation of the National Gender Policy in Agriculture (SGSC-NGPA).

Highlights of the forum was the commitment of Commissioners of agriculture from several states to constitute the state steering committee on gender in agriculture in their various states