By Huldah Shado
The Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Barnabas Malle, has pledged full support for the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON), assuring them of a transparent and productive partnership aimed at unlocking their full potential.
Dr Malle gave the assurance on Friday during a courtesy visit to his office by representatives of SWOFON and the Budget Committee Group (BCG).
The visit, facilitated by Hope Foundation for the Lonely with support from ActionAid Nigeria, focused on promoting inclusive agricultural budgeting and accountability.
“The ministry is open for partnership. We will support you to grow and access what is rightly yours,” Dr Malle stated, emphasizing his commitment to empowering women farmers and addressing their concerns.
Responding to issues of delayed or withheld funds, the commissioner said he was unaware of such occurrences but assured the group of transparency moving forward.
Ephraim Samuel, Secretary of the BCG, presented an analysis of the 2025 Agriculture Budget.
He highlighted a drop in allocation for smallholder women farmers from N50 million in 2024 to N30 million in 2025.
He also raised concerns over the removal of the N100 million previously allocated for mechanisation, which was never released in 2024.
The analysis welcomed the rise in funding for agricultural extension services from N5 million to N40 million in 2025, specifically for mobility and communication tools.
However, it flagged the absence of funding for training or recruitment of extension agents.
In his presentation, BCG Chairman Chima Azubuike urged the Gombe State Government to raise agricultural funding to meet the 10 percent Maputo Declaration target.
He called for the reinstatement of crucial budget lines for mechanisation and climate
