Gender Gap Fuels Banana Disease Crisis in Nigeria, Women Farmers Hit Hardest

From
Sehlule Muzata
Published on
15.10.25
Impact Area
Nutrition, health & food security

IBADAN, NIGERIA — A devastating virus is crippling banana production in Nigeria, and a new study reveals that gender inequality is one of the key drivers of its spread, leaving female farmers with disproportionately catastrophic losses. Researchers from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) presented these findings at the 14th Gender and Plant Health Webinar of the CGIAR Sustainable Farming Program on September 23, 2025, calling for urgent, gender-responsive interventions to protect a crop vital to the nation’s food security.

The culprit is Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD), a virus transmitted by aphids and infected planting materials that causes stunted growth and yield losses of 90-100%. First identified in Nigeria’s Ogun State in 2011, containment efforts have limited the disease expansion to other states in the country, however, it persisted in four local government areas of Ogun State.. The presentation by Lydia Olufunmilola Ogunya and Lava Kumar showed that the battle against BBTD is not just a technical challenge, but a social one rooted in community practices and gender dynamics.

“When a disease threatens a crop, its effect ripples across economic, social, environmental, and nutritional systems,” Ogunya stated during the webinar.

Bananas and plantains are a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy and diet. As Africa’s second-largest producer, the country relies on the crop for rural livelihoods and stable income for smallholder farmers. About 75% of the produce is sold fresh, while 18% is processed into products like chips and flour.

The study found that the virus spreads primarily through the informal sourcing of planting materials. Over 90% of farmers use suckers—young shoots from a parent plant—for planting, which are typically sourced from their own farms or received as gifts from neighbors and family. Due to low awareness on clean planting materials and no formal seed system for bananas, farmers have limited access to clean, disease-free planting materials.

This reliance on informal networks is fueling the epidemic, compounded by a critical lack of awareness. In affected areas, a staggering 70.8% of farmers are unclear about how BBTD spreads. Many mistakenly believe the disease’s symptoms are caused by poor soil fertility and apply manure in an attempt to fix the problem, a practice that highlights a significant knowledge gap.

The research demonstrates that the disease’s impact is not felt equally. The study revealed stark gender disparities:

Disproportionate Yield Losses: Farms headed by women were hit hardest. In infected regions, women lost an average of 50% of their yield, compared to a 12% loss for male-headed farms. After BBTD’s emergence, nearly 80% of female farmers in affected areas harvested fewer than 200 suckers, a dramatic drop in productivity.
A Pervasive Awareness Gap: Even after a decade of exposure, overall awareness of BBTD is alarmingly low, but it is even lower among women. In affected regions, 17.3% of men recognized the disease, compared to just 12.2% of women. This gap can delay a response for an entire community.
Unequal Access to Resources: Previous studies have shown that men are more likely to receive training in disease management, while women often miss out due to household duties. The new study confirms that women have more limited access to seed networks, often relying on social connections that may unknowingly spread the disease, whereas men are more likely to purchase seeds.

To combat the crisis, the researchers urged a multi-pronged approach that puts gender at its centre. Key recommendations include scaling up the production of certified, disease-free planting materials through community-based nurseries and launching gender-inclusive awareness campaigns using channels like radio programs and religious organizations to effectively reach women. They also called for strengthening disease surveillance and formalizing seed exchange networks to replace the current high-risk informal system.

“Tackling BBTD is not just a technical challenge, but a social one,” the researchers concluded, stressing that empowering all farmers—especially women—with knowledge and resources is essential to building a resilient banana production system.