POWA unveils ‘Soil to Security’ to empower 12m women

The Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) has unveiled the National Soil to Security Campaign Team (SSC) to fast-track the empowerment of 12 million young Nigerian women through transformative agribusiness education.

This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday by Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, President of the UNESCO Read and Earn Federation (UNESCO REF).

Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan quoted Dr Elizabeth Egbetokun, President of POWA, as saying the unveiling was part of activities marking POWA’s 61st Anniversary Celebration.

Egbetokun, who also serves as the National Advocate for the UNESCO REF Young Women in Agriculture (YWA) Initiative, stated that the SSC team would act as the official outreach and mobilisation engine.

She explained that the team operated under the UNESCO REF Strategic Intervention Programme, ALPHA (SIP-ALPHA) framework.

According to her, the framework is designed to advance food security, promote climate-smart agriculture, and deliver inclusive socioeconomic empowerment across all regions of Nigeria.

She emphasised that the initiative was a strategic response to the Federal Government’s emergency declaration on food security issued on July 13, 2023.

“The team is also designed to create sustainable income opportunities and position young women in high-value agricultural sectors, ranging from production to export.

“Through this campaign, we are enabling young women to break free from poverty by engaging in resilient, scalable agriculture that creates income, dignity, and national impact,” Egbetokun said.

She noted that the YWA initiative and the SSC campaign directly supported key national priorities, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s food security and agribusiness transformation agenda.

“It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Initiative led by First Lady Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.

“Other frameworks the project supports include the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 13 (Climate Action).

“Launched through the SIP-ALPHA Category II Framework, the YWA Initiative introduces innovative, tech-driven agricultural production models such as hydroponics and Kenaf-agro enterprise.”

Also speaking, Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, who doubles as the National Coordinator for YWA Nigeria, highlighted the transformational nature of the programme.

“The future of food is no longer buried beneath the soil; it is engineered through knowledge, equity, and innovation.

“With the launch of the SSC Team, Nigeria demonstrates not only its commitment to sustainable agriculture but also to harnessing the power of young women as architects of a resilient economy and peaceful society,” he said.

The SSC Team is tasked with mobilising and sensitising young women nationwide, promoting agritech adoption, ensuring access to inclusive markets, and driving grassroots registration and community engagement.

By 2030, the initiative aims to train and certify 12 million Young Women in Agriculture (YWA) Champions, creating resilient, women-led agribusiness ecosystems.

The initiative is supported by a coalition of government and development stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs; the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security.

Other key partners include the UNESCO Commission Nigeria, Women Space USA, Salvation Academy USA, and the University of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C., among others.