Nigeria investment in agriculture alarming — ActionAid

The ActionAid Nigeria, yesterday, described as alarming the budgetary allocation given to agricultural sector of the economy by the Federal Government.

The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr Hussaini Abdu also said that the Federal Government’s policy on agriculture is market oriented, centred on commercial farming, therefore, it is impracticable, because small scale farmers who are the base of the sector were not taken into consideration.
Abdu, who stated this at the presentation of ‘Walking the Talk’ Report conducted by the organization, in Abuja, noted that the country’s commitment towards agricultural financing was declining on yearly basis.

“Nigerian federal government within five years 2007-11 has allocated an average of just 3.5 percent of the national budget to agriculture risking even greater hunger across Nigeria,” the director said.
He further revealed that the government budgeted 1.7 percent and 1.3 percent to agriculture in the years 2012 and 2013 respectively, expressing fear that the figure might be dropped in the future projection.
Rolling out the investment scale of African countries, Abdu disclosed that Ghana, Rwanda and Burundi with budgetary allocation of 9-10 percent, 10.2 percent and 10.9 percent respectively were only the countries that complied with the 2003 Maputo declaration, which pegged 10 percent of the country’s budget to agriculture to increase economy of the continent.

He noted that the federal and the state governments not only spend less on agriculture in the country; they were also inconsistent in their commitment, adding that agricultural funding is critical to poverty alleviation, and that, this must not be done without taking cognizance of small scale farmers who are mainly women.
According to him, “Despite promising 10 years ago to spend 10 percent of its budgets on agriculture, the Nigerian government has increased its attention on agriculture in recent years by introducing a range of policies in place to increase productivity, yet Nigeria’s budgetary allocations and actual spending on agriculture are woefully inadequate to reduce poverty especially on the key service needed by smallholder farmers.

“Nigeria spends very little on agriculture; figures for the states are also low varying from 2.0-5.9 percent. Not only is spending low- it is also extremely erratic.
“For a sector that is a major branch of the economy, providing employment for 70 percent of the population and the largest contributor to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), contributing about 40 percent, yet the sector faces massive challenges. Agriculture spending is of critical importance to reducing poverty and promoting development in Nigeria.”

The report further warned that “Nigerian government is failing smallholder farmers particularly women, who make up the majority of farmers in Nigeria, and holding back food production across the country where Nigerians face food insecurity.
“A major reason why poverty and food insecurity remain widespread in Nigeria is that successive governments have failed to give appropriate funding to agriculture. Nigerian government’s recent drive towards private sector investment which focuses on commercial agriculture is unrealistic and will further exacerbate poverty as smallholder farmers are the ones who actually produce 90 percent of Nigeria’s food.

“African government have designated 2014 as the year of agriculture and food and nutrition security but this, warns ActionAid, will remain an empty phrase unless governments provide more money for agriculture and ensure that it is better targeted to help the million of smallholders farmers, especially women, who produce most of the continent’s food.”

Abdu maintained that “government can find the money to increase agricultural spending by reducing wasteful spending, leakages and corruption and abolishing huge tax exemption given to companies.

[Vanguard]

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One Comment

1. 

   Nwokeocha Martins

   December 14, 2013 at 7:23 am

   I wonder where this is coming from, This our Agricultural sector or Burundi’s? farmers call on phone and their fertilizer gets to them and all…………..