Committee On Agriculture, Food Security Pledges Partnership With WUEE On Food Security 
… As NGO Presents Workshop Policy Brief To Committee

By  Bassey Nkponam 
UYO
The Akwa Ibom State Agriculture and Food Security Committee has said it would partner an indigenous non governmental organization, Women United for Economic Empowerment (WUEE) on food security.
The committee gave the assurance, Friday, during the presentation of the policy brief of a capacity building workshop by WUEE, to the committee at the Boardroom of the Agric Business Office,  Governor’s Office, Uyo, and Akwa Ibom State Agriculture and Food Security Committee, at AKADEP Office, in Uyo. 
Speaking on behalf of members of the committee, the chairman, Professor Okon Ansa, said he was impressed by the vibrancy of WUEE, as reflected in its overview earlier presented by its executive director, Mrs Iniobong Frank, assuring that the committee will look into WUEE’s programmes in agriculture and see where to assist, as it was committed to partnering vibrant groups that would help it attain one of its objectives of identifying and working with real farmers in local government areas to attain success in government’s drive towards boosting food sufficiency and food security.
   Ansa, a one time commissioner for agriculture in the State, noted that since the committee’s concern was with agriculture, its job was therefore, to ensure that in the end, there was enough food in the State and in different facet before one can say Akwa Ibom has achieved food security.
   “We will be quite happy to work with a group like yours. We’ll like to work with a group that directly impacts the farmer, get the farmer to produce, and assist the farmer to produce and monitor his production. 
“Those are the kind of groups we would like to do business with, and with what Madam has presented, and with what I have listened to, that appears to be encouraging.
He recalled the committee’s first programme which was the recent oil palm programme aimed at reinvigorating the planting of oil palm in the State, and involving the distribution of oil palm seedlings to farmers in the local government areas of the State, noting that, so far, the committee has distributed the oil palm seedlings to eight local government areas, with two or three more local government areas billed to receive their seedlings soon.
“We’re hoping that in the end, we should be able to change the narrative with regards to production of fresh fruits bunches, which was basically the raw materials for all what is to be done at the oil palm industry.
“We’re hoping that with this off-take, uptake synergy in production, Akwa Ibom’s position in the oil palm industry will change significantly in the next three, four, five years. So, that’s our first programme. There are other programmes that are going to come”, he hinted. 
Giving an overview of WUEE, the executive director, Mrs Iniobong Frank, said the NGO, with headquarters in Akwa Ibom, was established in March 20, 2002 with a mission to promote women and children’s rights, and develop the rural and urban poor women, youth, children and other vulnerable groups through empowerment programmes.
Frank, who was represented by the finance officer of the organisation, Mrs Emem Ekong, listed the various programmes and projects embarked upon by WUEE in the State, with the recent one being the capacity building workshop organised in partnership with Urgent Action Fund (UAF) Africa, for women across the three senatorial districts in the State, during which they came up with recommendations to government and other stakeholders.
   Presenting the policy brief to the committee, Frank said the recommendations were for inclusion in future government policies in agriculture in the State, expressing hope that as a policy-making body, the committee will forward the recommendations to the government for policy formulation for the benefits of rural women farmers, and the state at large.
She expressed strong believe that if all hands are on deck, Akwa Ibom can grow to become the food basket of the nation, especially, now that women and youth were becoming interested in farming despite the peculiar challenges they face.
The recommendations included the need for: government to set policies in place to ensure women and youths were protected and given equal opportunities and access to farming; repairs and construction of access roads to farm lands especially farming communities in Ini Local Government Area and environs; giving women equal representation in agricultural forums, agencies and bodies to protect their interest and ensure their voices were heard.
Others were the implementation of the anti-grazing law that was passed by government; grants and agricultural loans to be made available to women farmers in rural areas; return of agric extension workers in all local government areas; implementation of affordable and equitable distribution of farming equipment and implements like fertilizers, tractors and improved seedling set; proper circulation of information in the villages through the use of town criers and radio jingles; trainings and capacity building for indigent farmers physically and through radio in local dialects; Bank of Agriculture (BOA) should have branches at least in all the senatorial zones and more for easy access by farmers; and the need to engage cultural and traditional rulers to support and allow women more access to land.
The recommendation for financial institutions was that they, as part of their corporate social responsibilities, should offer low-interest loans and credit facility to farmers, as well as other NGOs and development partners stepping in and offering help to women farmers in the state through capacity building and other partnership opportunities, the same way WUEE, in partnership with Urgent Action Fund (UAF) Africa, did.
In attendance at the event were the vice chairman of the committee on food security, and former commissioner for agriculture, Professor Trenchard Ibia; senior special assistant to the governor on Agric Business, Pastor Godwin Ukwat; State secretary of the committee, Mr. Ofonmbuk Nelson; State coordinator, Small Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON), Mrs Imaculata Ekpo, and her secretary, Mrs Dopse Sandy, among others.