By Atiku Galadima, Maiduguri
The Centre for Advocacy, Transparency & Accountability Initiative (CATAI), with support from ActionAid under the Strategic Partnership Agreement II (SPA II), has trained women farmers in Borno State on agroecology.
The Project Lead of SPA II, Ibrahim Abdulkadir, said the training was organised to strengthen the network of actors involved in agroecology practice in the state.
He explained that scaling up women’s knowledge of agroecology has become crucial in view of increasing climate pressures, warning that the absence of climate-smart training will continue to affect food production across rural communities in Borno.
“This engagement serves as a learning platform, and we are targeting the challenges of modern food systems by promoting practices that are environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially just,” he said.
Abdulkadir added that improved agroecology knowledge would enable female farmers to produce a wider variety of nutritious and culturally appropriate food, thereby reducing dependence on external markets.
He urged the government at all levels to expand extension services across rural communities, noting that strengthening women’s knowledge of agroecology is critical to improving food production and building resilience in a state affected by insurgency and climate shocks.
He also called on government agencies, development partners and research institutes to prioritise community-based training that equips women with practical, climate-responsive skills to sustain farming and protect household food security.
The training formed part of an engagement forum titled “Strengthening the network of actors for the promotion of agroecology” held in Maiduguri on Thursday.
During the forum, women farmers noted that without exposure to sustainable farming methods, soil management techniques and water-efficient practices, smallholder farmers remain vulnerable to erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells and periodic flooding.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Aishatu Isa said climate realities had become more visible across Jere, Mafa, Konduga and other farming communities, where yields continue to decline due to poor agroecological knowledge.
“Our biggest challenge is that we lack the basic agro-ecological knowledge that can help us adapt to these climate conditions,” she said. “Most women still depend on traditional practices that no longer work in this environment. We need training on soil health, improved seeds, composting and simple irrigation techniques.”
Another participant, Sa’adatu Sani, said many women still lack access to early warning information or advisory services that could help reduce losses.
“We want the government and partners to come closer to the community level. The climate is changing fast, but the support for women farmers is still too small,” she said.
She commended CATAI and ActionAid for organising the training, describing it as timely, and urged government and other organisations to create an enabling environment for women to continue contributing to food security.