APRA-Nigeria inaugurates board for policy impact on agric commercialization and smallholder transformation

An Advisory Board chaired by the former Commissioner of Agriculture, Kaduna state, and Director General (DG) of Nigerian Agric Business Group (NABG) Dr. Manzo Daniel Maigari has been constituted with a mandate to facilitate the process of transforming APRA Nigeria research output into effective policies and advocate for effective implementation towards transforming the livelihood trajectory of farming household in Ogun and Kaduna as APRA pilot states in Nigeria.

 The Agricultural Policy Research in Africa Programme (APRA) is a research consortium that is working to identify the most effective pathways to agricultural commercialization that empowers women, reduces rural poverty and improves food and nutrition security in the sub Saharan Africa. APRA which is currently based in IDS, University of Sussex, United Kingdom, builds on a decade of research and policy engagement work by the Future Agriculture Consortium (www.future-agricultures.org), and  is funded by UK Aid from UK government.

 The advisory body which was inaugurated at Rockview Hotel, Abuja on September 27, 2019 by Prof. Titus Awokuse, Chair, Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics Michigan State University (MSU), USA is to work closely with the MSU APRA Nigeria research team to influence the formation and implementation of agricultural and food policies that would enhance agricultural commercialization and smallholders transformation through the growth of medium/large scale farms.     

Prof. Awokuse in his speech before the inauguration stressed that Michigan State University (MSU) has actively supported food and agricultural policy research in Nigeria and other African countries way back from the 60s.  

In his address to the Board, Prof. Soji Adelaja, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics, MSU and member APRA Nigeria Workstream 1 Research Team said that the APRA project in Nigeria is aimed to generating an inclusive set of  information from larger spectrum of  stakeholders in the agriculture value chain, with respect to how challenges in terms of land acquisition, agricultural produce-processing and marketing can be translated to wealth creation. He stated further that  ‘’ we are using Ogun and Kaduna states as study sites to understand the typology of commercialization, including opportunities and constraint’’

The advisory board included Dr. Manzo Maigari, the current Director General (DG) of Nigerian Agricultural Business Group (NABG) as the chairman, while other members are Ms. Nike Tinubu, (CEO) Eagleson and Nito Concept, Mr. Thomas Etuk, President, Fertilizer, Producers and Suppliers association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Engr. Mudashiru Akeju (Former Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Alhaji Sanni Ismaila Sabiu, Permanent Secretary , Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, Kaduna state, Mrs. Abosede Ogunleye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Ogun state, Dr. Mohammed Bello Umar, Perm. Sec.  FMARD, Prince Olusegun Dasaolu, Chairman, All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Ogun State and Kaduna State Chairman, AFAN Alhaji Nuhu Aminu.

 The APRA Nigeria Workstream 1 Country Coordinator, and Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Nigeria,  Prof. Adebayo B. Aromolaran, while reviewing the activities of the project emphasised that preliminary results indicate that in order to promote the growth of medium scale farms in Nigeria, policy might need to effectively address the issue of low land tenure security, low access to land markets by prospective investors, and low youth engagement in farming.   

Prof. Aromolaran pointed out that farmers are tired of the numerous un-impactful research activities that they have been subjected to several decades and enjoined the APRA Nigeria Advisory Board to work to ensure that APRA Nigeria research results do not end up on the shelves as mere research papers.    

He added that the board must be able to facilitate policy makers’ acceptance of APRA Nigeria research findings and advocate the formulation and implementation of policies based on research findings. He stressed that Board members are in position to influence the allocation of government and private sector resources to effectively implement policies arising from APRA research output.

   

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Dr. Mohammed Bello Umar ably represented by the Director, Agribusiness, Processing and Marketing, Alh. M.O Azeez advised the Board to take cognisance of the previous policies in the sector so as to enable them to know how to chart a way forward in their assignment. He commended the effort of APRA for setting up the Board.

According to him ‘’ I will advise that APRA review the food and agricultural policies of government on country basis, and find which ones are actually contributing significantly to the process from agricultural commercialization and smallholders formation’’. He then highlighted several past and current policies of the FMARD that have been very impactful.

 Mr. Gideon Negedu, Executive Secretary, Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association (FEPSAN) who represented his President, Mr. Thomas Etuk , emphasised the importance of a group like this in facilitating the actualization of the current national fertilizer policy which encourages local production.

   

The chairman of the Board, Dr. Maigari in his response showed appreciation to APRA, promising that the Board members would bring their wealth of experiences in the sector to ensure the formulation of a robust impactful policies for small/medium scale farmers like he did in the past with other stakeholders in Kaduna state when he was Commissioner for Agriculture.

He commended the agenda and research approach of APRA, which he confessed that he had been thinking on how to replicate in NABG. He then urged members to give their cooperation in order to achieve the responsibilities given to them.

Maigari said ‘’ most of us here represent diverse interest in the sector, and it is necessary we take up the leadership of those sectoral needs. Good enough the NABG has been resuscitated and we are going to work with FMARD’’.

The voice of Prof. Thomas Jayne, University Foundation Professor, MSU and lead Principal Investigator, MSU-APRA research project, echoed the increasing population of Nigerian youths with 65% falling below age of 25 that can be engaged in farming with improved access to land. He pointed out that Asian countries expend eight times of what Nigeria spends on agriculture.

Prof. Jayne who said the same APRA frame work were in other African countries such as Tanzania, Malawi, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, wanted the Nigerian government to improve on commercialization policy that would enable small and medium scale farmers to advance in the process of wealth and job creation.