ANIMAL AGRICULTURE: A VIABLE TOOL FOR RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND REDEMPTION FROM POVERTY

Women are the backbone of the development of rural and national economies. There is no tool of development that is more effective than the empowerment of the rural women. Nigerian rural women lack sufficient economic resources that will enable them to articulate their needs and interests and organize themselves with a view to developing the nation. The prospects of achieving food security in a rapidly growing population and relative self-sufficiency in animal protein supply calls for the production of all classes of meat animals by rural women to achieve sustainable economic development and empowerment. The animal farming opportunities through which women can be empowered included: snail, broiler, quail, duck, laying chicken, fish, bee, rabbit, pig, sheep and goat farming. The paper concluded that in order to get sustainable productivity in animal production, rural women needed be empowered to be actively involved in the various opportunities available in animal agriculture for advancing development and reducing poverty, since empowered women contribute to the health, productivity of whole families and communities and also improve the prospects of the next generation. It is recommended that Government should play key role in activities involving livestock through the formulation of policies, provision of agricultural credit for women participation in animal production, increased technical know- how in animal production through capacity building for women via livestock extension trainings, and provision of enabling environment for proper growth of the livestock industry. Also, rural development programme packages should involve women empowerment through animal production activities to achieve sustainable development