Labour Party candidate for the House of Representatives, Owerri Federal Constituency, Dr Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has called for greater investment in rural women farmers through improved access to credit, infrastructure, agricultural technology and markets.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu made the call in a statement issued on Friday to mark the 2026 International Day of Rural Women.

The former Ondo State First Lady said rural women played critical roles in food production, environmental protection and community development but continued to face challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to credit, insecure land rights, poor market access and the burden of unpaid domestic work.

According to her, the 2026 theme, “Rural Women Farmers Caring for Mother Nature,” highlights the contributions of rural women as food producers, custodians of indigenous knowledge, protectors of biodiversity and agents of environmental sustainability.

“This must change. Rural women deserve more than recognition; they deserve opportunity, investment, infrastructure and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods,” she said.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu said her commitment to rural women was reflected in two pillars of her eight-point agenda: Women and Girl-Child Advancement, and Infrastructure and Community Development.

Under the women and girl-child advancement pillar, Anyanwu-Akeredolu said she would advocate policies and legislative measures to expand economic opportunities for women, strengthen women-led enterprises and improve access to skills acquisition and livelihood programmes, particularly for rural women, widows and other vulnerable groups.

She stressed the need to provide women farmers with agricultural training, affordable financing, appropriate technology, cooperative enterprises and access to markets where they could sell their produce at fair prices.

She also emphasised the importance of educating and equipping rural girls with digital literacy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, as well as emerging opportunities in artificial intelligence.

According to her, empowering girls through education and relevant skills would prepare them for future roles as agricultural innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and community leaders.

The Labour Party candidate further called for the inclusion of rural women in decision-making processes, particularly on issues concerning agriculture, land use, environmental protection, healthcare and community development.
On infrastructure, Anyanwu-Akeredolu said poor roads, inadequate electricity, limited access to potable water and insufficient healthcare facilities continued to constrain rural women’s productivity and economic potential.

She pledged to advocate the rehabilitation of rural and federal roads, rural electrification, solar street lighting, potable water, improved healthcare and educational facilities, modern markets and erosion control across rural communities in Owerri Federal Constituency.

She noted that farmers faced higher transportation costs and post-harvest losses when roads connecting their farms to markets were in poor condition.

The former First Lady added that access to electricity, water and appropriate processing facilities would enable women farmers to improve productivity, preserve agricultural produce and expand their businesses.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu also called for environmentally responsible development, stressing the need for erosion control, sustainable land management, water conservation and the protection of natural resources.

She said that, if elected, she would deploy legislative powers, oversight functions, budget advocacy and constituency engagement to pursue the proposed interventions in collaboration with relevant federal and state agencies, local governments, development partners and community stakeholders.

On food security, she said the designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer further underscored the need to place women farmers at the centre of agricultural development and food systems transformation.

“We cannot speak credibly about food security while neglecting the women who produce, process and distribute much of the food our communities consume. Nor can we claim to be protecting Mother Nature while leaving rural women without the resources and institutional support required to sustain environmentally responsible farming,” she said.

She called for improved access to productive resources, greater economic independence for women and rural development policies that addressed the practical challenges facing women farmers.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu added that agriculture should be viewed not merely as a subsistence activity but as an opportunity for enterprise, employment, wealth creation and community transformation.

She urged stakeholders to move beyond the annual celebration of rural women to sustained investment in their empowerment and the communities they support.

“My vision is an Owerri Federal Constituency where rural women have the infrastructure to work productively, the resources to build thriving livelihoods, the education and technology to compete in a changing world, and the opportunity to participate fully in public life,” she said.