BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
The federal government says it is working to remove barriers preventing women from owning or accessing lands in the country.
Ibrahim Idris, permanent secretary of the federal ministry of environment, said though women hold a critical stake in lands, they often do not control them.
The official spoke on Tuesday at the 2023 World Desertification and Drought Day which had the theme: ‘Her Land. Her Right: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals’.
Idris said women are the worst hit when land is degraded and water is scarce.
“We cannot shy away from the fact that women have unequal and limited access to the control of land. Women hold a vital stake in the health of the land, yet they often don’t have control over land,” he said.
“In all parts of the world, women face significant barriers in securing land rights, limiting their ability to thrive and prosper.
“And when land becomes degraded and water is scarce, women are often the worst affected. Investing in women’s equal access to land and associated assets is a direct investment in their future and the future of humanity.”
The permanent secretary said land degradation is one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems and it is expected to worsen in Nigeria.
“Land degradation affects everyone through food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services”, he said.
“We must find ways to promote women’s access to, use of and control over land and other productive resources because it is essential to ensuring their right to equality and to an adequate standard of living.
“These resources help to ensure that women are able to provide for their day-to-day needs and those of their families, and to weather some of life’s most difficult challenges.”
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