Category: Inside Africa

The Platform for African Women in Smart Climate Agriculture (PAWISCA) has reaffirmed its resolve to place Nigerian women at the centre of food security, export expansion and poverty reduction nationwide.

The organisation’s Nigeria Representative, Mrs Bola Oyegbami, stated this at a thanksgiving programme for Nigeria and PAWISCA, describing the event as both spiritual and strategic.

She revealed that PAWISCA has expanded its footprint to 45 African countries, adding that the organisation’s continental leadership has adopted Nigeria’s operational structure as a benchmark for other member states.

Oyegbami further disclosed that, over the past three years, several Nigerian states have developed export-ready products through PAWISCA’s collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

According to her, the NEPC, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, has identified PAWISCA as a rare institution with a strong national spread, actively involved in training, exhibitions and value addition initiatives.

“We are in the 36 states, with female local government coordinators and some male members,” Oyegbami said. “It is a women-led initiative focused on farming and export, but also fashion and creative industries.”

She explained that PAWISCA members are transforming traditional products into income-generating exports, ranging from Aso Oke redesigned into modern suits to Igbo weaving adapted for global markets. In agriculture and food processing, the organisation is promoting innovations such as powdered egusi, black soup concentrates, plant-based creams and instant local meals, all processed, packaged and registered with NAFDAC for local consumption and export.

“These are products that sell abroad. They bring in foreign exchange and directly address poverty,” Oyegbami said, adding that Lagos State alone accounts for multiple approved products, while about eight states are currently export-ready.

Oyegbami also revealed plans by PAWISCA’s African leadership to provide financial support through an Ecobank-backed structure, strictly tied to proof of production and training. “You don’t just give money. People must show what they have produced and where they are exporting to,” she said, citing cassava-to-ethanol and soya bean processing projects that have already received approvals from laboratories and universities.

She noted that structured training for farmers and exporters will commence in January, with a detailed timetable already published. 

With over 5,000 members nationwide, PAWISCA continues to expand through state and local government coordinators, encouraging Nigerians—particularly women—to convert skills, farms and ideas into sustainable businesses.

Also speaking at the event, PAWISCA Lagos State Coordinator and member of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Lola George-Akoje, said the organisation is progressing with focus and discipline, warning against the expectation of quick financial gains without meeting set requirements.

She said PAWISCA is keen on supporting practical, verifiable projects, rather than mere proposals. “We want to see what people are actually doing and support them. This is contrary to the usual mentality,” she said.

According to her, PAWISCA is primarily interested in projects that can be tested, improved and supported for export, enabling farmers to earn more. “If you are a farmer, let us see what you are growing, how you can package and process it to make more money, and the organisation will support you when it comes to exportation,” she said.

George-Akoje added that farmers are encouraged to explore cassava by-products such as ethanol, while the organisation also supports fashion and cultural industries, including adire and other African textiles.

She expressed optimism that 2026 would be a better year for Nigeria, revealing that from January, there is a strong likelihood of releasing funds to qualified farmers and other beneficiaries under PAWISCA’s programmes.