The Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Oyo State chapter, has raised an alarm over the severe lack of irrigation infrastructure, which it says is currently “crippling” dry season agricultural productivity in the state. During a strategic stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan, the organization revealed that thousands of women farmers are unable to cultivate their lands during the off-season due to the drying up of traditional water sources and the absence of government-supported irrigation dams. This infrastructure gap has led to a significant drop in the production of essential vegetables and grains, contributing to the rising cost of food in the local markets.
The Chairperson of the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) in Oyo State, Atinuke Akinbade, emphasized that while the state has high potential for all-year-round farming, the reliance on rainfall makes agriculture a seasonal and high-risk venture for her members. She noted that many farmers who attempted to use manual watering methods or commercial water tankers found the cost of production to be unsustainable. Akinbade urged the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration to prioritize the provision of solar-powered boreholes and small-scale irrigation kits as part of the state’s Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) program.
Responding to these concerns, the Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, stated that the government is aware of the challenges and is working on a State Irrigation Masterplan. He disclosed that the government plans to rehabilitate existing earth dams and distribute water pumps to organized farming clusters. However, agricultural experts argue that these interventions are often too slow to meet the immediate needs of the planting season. They suggest that the government should adopt a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to establish modern irrigation hubs that can be managed by the farmers themselves to ensure maintenance and sustainability.
The plight of the women farmers has broader implications for Nigeria’s food security agenda. With Oyo State serving as a major food basket for the Southwest region, a failure in dry season farming directly impacts the supply chain in urban centers like Lagos. Analysts warn that if the irrigation deficit is not addressed, the cycle of poverty and hunger among rural women will deepen, undermining the gains made in the financial inclusion of women in agriculture. The call by SWOFON is a demand for a shift from “rain-fed” rhetoric to “irrigation-led” reality to ensure that the state can feed its growing population regardless of the weather.
