Mrs Ebele Obiano Encourages Women To Embrace Agriculture

The wife of Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano has charged women to embrace small scale agriculture as a business and a means of sustenance.

The governors' wife, stated this in a presentation on ''Agriculture as a small scale Business ", at the 5Th Southern Governors Wives Forum (SGWF), held from May 10-12, 2017 at Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Mrs Obiano described agriculture as a good venture for sustainable economic development which has become increasingly popular amongst Nigerians and can be undertaken by women not only to put food on the table but also to improve their financial status.

She said;

"Going into agriculture as a small scale ‎venture means you are doing it in a small way. You can start a garden from the small portion of land at your back yard which can yield different types of vegetables. Remove a section of the interlocked compound and grow tomatoes; start fish farming or even snail rearing and earn some income."

Mrs. Obiano who is the founder the NGO, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE) noted that the cumulative positive impact of earnings from small agricultural activities on the health and fortunes‎ of the family and the nation, and called steadfast collective approach by women in small scale agriculture through cooperatives to encourage growth of the sector.

She explained that one of the thrusts of CAFE programmes is in encouraging more women involvement in agriculture since according to her 

“the days are gone when women depend solely on their husbands for survival. It is important that women take advantage of the opportunity in agriculture or acquire other skills like bakery and confectioneries amongst others that will equip them to be self-reliant.”

Other governors’ wives also made presentations at the Interactive Session during the Forum which was attended by fourteen out of the seventeen First Ladies from states in southern Nigeria. The regular meetings of the group is geared towards promoting the course of women and as proferring advice in support of their husbands' in states.