The Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adeshina has redoubled efforts to integrate more women into farming through the distribution of one million mobile phones to women farmers across the country.

Speaking at a technical dialogue on Gender and Agriculture in Abuja, the Minister noted that women account for 75 percent of farmers in the country including value chains, but only a few of them record high productivity owing to marginalization.

World Bank country director for Nigeria, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly however announced plans to commit $1 billion in the next three years to boost the performance of female farmers and help eradicate poverty in the country.

Civil society activists also agreed that female farmers should be supported with lands and access to adequate information in order to boost agricultural and rural development.