By Lanre Oloyede
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Abba Isa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive agriculture and the enforcement of the 10 per cent disability inclusion quota across agricultural interventions nationwide.
The presidential aide gave the assurance through his representative during the National Research Launch organised by Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to unveil findings on the participation of women with disabilities in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
The event, supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), highlighted barriers confronting women with disabilities in agriculture and proposed policy-driven solutions for inclusive food systems.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Lanre Oloyede, who represented Abba Isa, described the research as a timely intervention that provides “hard evidence” capable of shaping government action on disability inclusion within the agricultural sector.
He stressed that the office of the SSA remains committed to ensuring that the 10 per cent disability inclusion quota moves beyond policy recommendations to become a practical standard across all federal agricultural programmes and interventions.
According to him, the inclusion of women with disabilities in farming and agribusiness aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, economic empowerment, and poverty alleviation.
“When we empower a woman with a disability on the farm, we are not just helping an individual; we are strengthening the economic backbone of a whole community,” the representative stated.
He further pledged closer collaboration between the SSA’s office, AWWDI, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that findings from the research are integrated into the national framework for disability inclusion and agricultural development.
The presidential endorsement was widely applauded by participants at the event, who described it as a major boost for advocacy efforts aimed at expanding opportunities for Persons With Disabilities within Nigeria’s food production ecosystem.
Organisers noted that the study captured the experiences and realities of 1,118 women with disabilities, adding that the government’s response signals growing recognition of the need for inclusive development policies.
The research launch also featured the public presentation of the 2026 report, with representatives from disability advocacy groups, development partners, and government institutions in attendance.
Stakeholders at the event expressed optimism that the collaboration between government agencies and disability-focused organisations would help translate research findings into concrete policies capable of improving access, participation, and economic opportunities for women with disabilities in agriculture.
