ALGON unveils Comprehensive Local Agriculture Plan

Cross section of the Comprehensive Local Agriculture Plan conference held in abuja

·       *  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.