Stakeholders have urged the government to eliminate systemic barriers hindering rural women from fully participating in agriculture and benefiting from Nigeria’s energy transition.
They called for decisive, gender-responsive actions across all levels.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop in Kwara State, Regina Solomon, Programme Manager at the Centre for Gender Economics in Africa, said rural women remain excluded from access to land, credit, infrastructure and clean energy technologies despite their central role in food production.
The workshop, titled “Empowering Women in Agriculture to Understand Climate Change Impacts and Advocate for Nigeria’s Energy Transition,” trained over 30 women farmers on climate-smart agriculture and clean energy solutions.
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According to her, “The time has come for action, not just commitments. We are urging the government to prioritise access to clean, affordable technologies for rural women, expand training opportunities, and address structural inequalities in the agricultural and energy sectors”, she said.
Solomon explained that the training equipped women with practical knowledge to strengthen their decision-making, boost productivity, and engage more actively with policy processes.
“You cannot talk about a just energy transition without recognising the role of rural women,” she said adding that “If the policies and tools are not accessible to them, the transition will leave too many behind.”
She noted that many women are willing to adopt new technologies but lack access to basic information.
To this end, she said there is a need to bring knowledge closer in languages they understand, through trusted platforms and design interventions with women”.
The programme manager said “Women are not just farmers but key to Nigeria’s future in agriculture and clean energy. If they are informed and equipped, they will lead.”
Also speaking, Victoria Ololade-Demehin, a Fellow of the Future Women Leaders in Fisheries Fellowship (FUWOLIFF), said clean energy tools like zai pits, solar pumps, and mobile farming apps can address many of the barriers rural women face.
“Many women do most of the farming, yet have no access to land, finance, or training. Now climate change is compounding their challenges,” she said.
“These tools, she noted, will make their work easier and more profitable.
Ololade-Demehin said clean energy should not be seen as abstract or out of reach.
“It is practical and can be deployed now, right on their farms”, she assured.
Organisers called for stronger political will to support rural women with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.
