Bank of Agriculture expands women farmer support

The Agricultural Bank of China (BOA) announced on August 17, 2026, that it is strengthening support for women farmers in Nigeria by expanding access to agricultural finance, inputs, mechanisation, and markets. The initiative aims to address persistent barriers faced by women farmers, who constitute up to 70% of Nigeria's agricultural workforce but have limited access to formal financial services. BOA recently engaged women farmers in Bwari Area Council, FCT, providing agricultural inputs. The bank's strategy includes the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund, which targets bringing over two million smallholder farmers into a structured, Federal Government-backed on-lending framework. BOA is also deploying a N250 billion facility for single-digit financing and undergoing a N1.5 trillion recapitalisation to expand lending capacity. Through its Guaranteed Minimum Price Aggregation Programme, the bank connects farmers to aggregation systems, accredited warehouses, and guaranteed offtake arrangements. Managing Director Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin emphasized that agricultural financing must go beyond credit disbursement to include inputs, mechanisation, and market access. The initiative is part of broader efforts to boost food production and strengthen Nigeria's agricultural value chains.