About 700 women farmers in Kwara State have been enrolled in the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Green Hope Project (Phase III - Open-Field Horticulture) as part of efforts to increase food production and strengthen food security across Nigeria.

The beneficiaries, drawn from horticulture clusters in Iponrin, Tsaragi, Asa, Oke-Onigbin, Ijara Isin, Esie, Ilale and Moro, are undergoing intensive training in modern horticultural production techniques at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin.

Speaking at the opening of the programme, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Mr Olusegun Adebayo, said the initiative is being implemented across 38 locations nationwide to ensure that every federal constituency benefits.

According to him, the programme will empower 5,000 women across the country, with more than 500 hectares of farmland already developed for commercial horticultural production.

Adebayo explained that the intervention extends beyond farmland allocation, as participants will also receive practical training, improved seeds, fertilisers, irrigation support, extension services and other essential agricultural inputs to establish sustainable farming businesses.

He described women as central to agricultural development, stressing that empowering them would have a ripple effect on families and communities.

"When you train a woman, you train an entire community," he said.

He added that hostel accommodation had been provided to enable participants to fully engage in the training programme.

The Executive Dean of ARMTI, Dr Oluwafemi Oladuni, said the institute partnered with NALDA to equip beneficiaries with the practical skills and knowledge required to improve agricultural productivity and contribute to national food security.

He noted that the collaboration is designed to move participants beyond training into active commercial farming, emphasising the vital role women play in achieving sustainable agricultural development.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Oloyede Ibukunoluwa, commended NALDA for the initiative, saying the programme had exposed participants to improved tomato cultivation techniques and other modern farming practices.

She expressed confidence that the knowledge gained would help improve her farming enterprise and increase crop yields.