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| HON. LINUS OKORIE |
On behalf of the Members of the Committee on Agricultural Colleges
and Institutions of the 8th House of representatives, it is my
pleasure to welcome everyone to this Public hearing.
Particularly, permit me to express the Committee’s immense gratitude
to the Hon. Speaker, His Excellency, Rt.
Hon. Yakubu Dogara for honoring our invitation to declare the event open.
The following Bills are to be addressed at today’s public hearing,
namely:
(i)
A Bill for an Act to Amend the
Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Cap A12. LFN, 2004 to reduce the
numbers of the Governing Board and A
Bill for an Act to Repeal the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Cap
A12. LFN, 2004, and Re-enact the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria and
Other Related Matters (HBs 689 & 839)
(ii)
A Bill for an Act to Establish the
Universities Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Constitution of Boards, etc.); and
for Other Related Matters (HB568)
(iii)
A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian
Agricultural Associations and to provide
for a Registrar who shall be responsible for the Administration of the Act, in
accordance with the objectives of Agricultural related Associations, so as to
enhance their capacity to effectively regulate farming activities in their
various fields, especially those with intent of profit making and provide
support to such farmers even in the area of Disease Control, as well as
encourage their expansion and capacity to meet local and possible Export Demand
and for Other Related Matters (HB. 586).
Agriculture can be described as a science, art, and business
of cultivating the soil, harvesting produces, rearing livestock,
fishery and generally dealing with the farm products, including marketing.
Farming undeniably, remains an important
sector of the Nigerian economy with the greatest incidence of employment
generation, potential for food security, self sufficiency and poverty reduction.
With about 84 million hectares of arable land available for cultivation, 263
billion cubic meters of water bodies (including two of the largest rivers in
Africa), a large supply of cheap labour and a huge market population of approximately
182 million people; Nigeria is endowed with all that is required for self-sufficiency
and food security.
Regrettably, however, despite these immense potential, we remain
unable to feed ourselves as well as
translate the sector into wealth and prosperity for the citizenry as it should be
due to decades of misplaced priority and primitive farming
practices that have failed to respond proactively to knowledge and
technological developments.
Malaysia, which
in the 1960’s obtained her first oil palm seedlings from Nigeria today exports
palm oil to us and generates over $20bn annually from palm oil. Similarly, the United
States of America, China, and Argentina have all displaced Nigeria as the world
largest producer of groundnut; while Cote d’Voire and Ghana now lead us in Cocoa
production.
Effectively, we are
today a net food importing nation, spending over $10bn annually
on food imports. The immediate cause of this huge hole in the country’s current
account position is the scant attention paid to agricultural research, training
and extension over the years by all tiers of government.
Accordingly, the need to develop these potentials inherent in our
nation’s agricultural sector is urgent and requires our concerted efforts
through active participation, proactive legislation's and robust implementation.
The most urgent of these, is the reform and repositioning of the Nigerian
Agricultural Research system to enable it drive the necessary knowledge and
technology needed to modernize the agricultural sector.
It is on this score that this Committee at inauguration targeted
to achieve, among other things, the following:
(i)
Comprehensive
strengthening of the nation’s Agricultural Research System through the
introduction of independent funding and proper establishment of the Institutes
and Colleges via legislation intervention.
(ii)
Intensive
awareness creation among farmers and stakeholders on the importance of research,
training and extension services in the quest for agricultural modernization and
productivity and;
(iii)
Elevation
of youth involvement in agriculture through advocacy and other legislative
engagements to earn agriculture its place of prominence among all sectors of
the economy.
Therefore, it is my considered opinion that this Public Hearing is
timely as it will afford all stakeholders the opportunity to make valuable
contributions which would aid the Committee and, by extension, the National
Assembly in enacting legislations that would in turn improve the Agricultural
Sector and, hence, the standard of living of our people.
It is on this note that I wish to present a brief highlight of
each bill being considered today as follows:
a.
The Agricultural Research Council of
Nigeria (ARCN) (Repeal and Re-enact) Bill 2016 consolidated with the ARCN
amendment Bill 2016 seek
to transform the ARCN into a managing research organization that
is well positioned to drive agricultural revolution and diversification in the
country through the following amendments, among others:
(i)
Reconstitution
of the Board of the Council;
(ii)
Expansion
of the powers of the Council to include advise of Vice Chancellors on appointment of
Directors of Agricultural Research Institutes established under university
statutes;
(iii)
Revision
of the conditions of service of staff to be as applicable to Universities;
(iv)
Establishment
of the Agricultural Development and Extension Fund, to be principally
funded by:
--1% of the duties collected on
agricultural imports and exports; and a levy of 1% of the profit before tax of
certain identified companies that have a turnover of N100 million and above.
(v) Exemption
of Funds and Account of the Council from tax and all contributions to the
Council to be tax deductible;
(vi) Empowerment
of the NCS and the FIRS to collect and remit duty, levy and tax
directly to the Council.
(vii) Empowering
the Research Institutes and Colleges to incorporate Spin-Off companies, enter into
Public Private Partnerships and to hold Intellectual Property Rights over
their learning and research products.
b.
The University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and the
Veterinary Specialist Hospital (Constitution of Boards etc.) and for Other
Related Matter Bill seeks to constitute Management Boards for the
Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and the Veterinary Specialist Hospital Abuja
and any other Veterinary Teaching Hospitals or Specialist Hospital that may be established from time to time and
added to the list by the Minister which
shall from commencement of the of the Act be controlled by the
Government of the Federation.
The Bill also seeks to transfer
the management and funding of the Hospitals from the Federal Ministry
of Education and the National University Commission. to the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture.
c.
The Nigerian Agricultural Associations Bill seeks to provide for a Registrar who shall be responsible for the
Administration of the “Act” in accordance with the objectives of
agricultural related associations to enhance their capacity to effectively
regulate the activities in their members, especially those with the intent of
profit making. It also seeks to provide support to such farmers even in
disease control as well as encourage their expansion and capacity
to meet local, and possibly, export demand.
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Rep. Linus Okorie, FCA
Chairman
House
Committee on Agricultural Colleges
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