Cross section of the Comprehensive Local Agriculture Plan conference held in abuja |
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Stakeholders
lament local governments absence
The Association of the Local Government of
Nigeria (ALGON) has recently in an International Seminar in Abuja unveiled its
Comprehensive Local Agriculture Plan project (C-LAP), a project focused at
aggregating 774 local government farms, with strong linkages to national retail
chains, thereby creating a network for direct agricultural produce delivery
from the door step of farmers through its local governments to mega market at
state capitals.
Although
the turnout in this particular event was very worrisome as participants who are
expected to grace the occasion were conspicuously absent as the event convener,
Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu lamented over the low turnout of farmers and officials from
the 774 local government of Nigeria despite adequate invitation circulation.
Speaking
on the C-LAP, the ALGON leader, Hon. Ibrahim
Ahmed Karaye said the association decided to key into the initiative so as to
consolidate on the gains recorded at the 774 local governments in Nigeria in
line with the focus of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari
towards economy diversification using agriculture and food self-sustenance
adding that “the association of the local government of Nigeria (ALGON) is
adopting a bottom –up approach through a comprehensive plan for development of
agriculture (CLAP) at local government level in 774 LGAs of Nigeria towards the
improvement of the agricultural sector”
However
the convener of the event Hon. Kachikwu has decried the attitude of farmers for
non-participation saying the event was meant to collate necessary data that
would ensure a better planning for local farming in Nigeria as he queried
saying “ How can we make progress when people who are meant to take the lead in
driving development in their areas do not take it serious’’
Also
the chairman, local organizing committee, Mr.
Balraj Sikka said the seminar was geared towards discussing the
challenges of rural farming and that the main focus targeted micro level
planning with technology to enhance farming “We have to develop and change the
face of the common farmer that is why we are partnering with ALGON in this
project. Now we have the technology to manage land resources and this can help
improve the quality of far production in Nigeria’’
Sikka
lamented over Nigerian tomato importation despite being the largest producer “I
am from India and we have faced challenges in farming but with the help of
technology and mechanized tools, we were able to overcome some of them. We hope
with this plan Nigeria can improve tremendously in the future”
Nigerian
agricultural policies was being described as poorly planned with bad
implementation strategies which the C-LAP would had been an antidote for its
solution at the grass roots during
the technical section on Strategies for agriculture
development to improving rural livelihoods, Professor Gbolagade Ayoola
described the Nigerian scenario as having no direct correlation between
policies and implementation strategies saying “ In the policy template, policy
adoption, approval, legitimization and review are keys to driving progress in
agriculture”
Prof.
Ayoola noted that 99.9 per cent of poverty in the country is domiciled in rural
areas, saying that bulk of the strategies and implementation of agricultural
plan should be focused on rural areas with the down- up approach of the C-LAP.
Mr.
Ayodele Balogun, a panelist also emphasized on infrastructural constraints of
people living in the rural areas saying they are faced with challenges of good
water supply, electricity, hospitals and schools among others and yet the rural
dweller is expected to produce the food that would feed the nation.
He
said government needs to rethink the policies and campaigns for agriculture
stressed rather than helping the farmer directly; government should start
removing those constraints of the rural farmers stated that “Government should
start thinking of building access roads, rural education, infrastructure,
quality health care and data for the rural areas. Effective improved
productivity can come if the farmers’ market prices are real and the farmer is
not faced with competition from subsidized imported product.”
In
a swift reaction, Mr. Heather Akanni, the technical adviser to the Minister of
Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh said that the ministry would be ready to partner
with the programme based on its grassroot target for food security and market
creation with quality productivity.
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