Nigeria’s agricultural production is unable to keep up with its population growth, threatening food security in the country. Women’s low participation and contribution to the agricultural sector have been cited as part of the reason for the sector’s underperformance. Despite women providing over 70% of agricultural labour in Nigeria, many women’s farming activities are not measured or paid and as such their productivity is not counted. Women also face a variety of constraints to their productivity. Female farmers receive less than 10% of the credit offered to small-scale farmers and are often unable to access agricultural inputs, like high-yield seedlings and fertilizers, due to their high prices. And men are five times more likely to own land than women as customary laws do not recognize women’s land ownership.
