Editorial- NCAM’s proposed merger with NASENI: War against agric development?

It appears some faceless people are waging war against agricultural sector in Nigeria. We say this because of the recent recommendation for the merger of the Ilorin, Kwara state-based innovative National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) with the National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), which is certainly leading to nowhere.



No doubt there are lot of parastatals and agencies of the Federal Government (FG) that their existence cannot be effectively justified when you compare the duplication of their functions with many others performing the same functions even in conflicting ways, which results in wastage  of scarce economic resources on the part of Government. NCAM is not inclusive.

This is not the first time NCAM would be listed for merger, this makes it very malicious, and exactly the point we are making here. It was done in 2011 but the then Federal Executive Council refused to approve the request of the liquidators because of realization of the strategic roles being played by the Centre in ensuring food security and its productivity using homemade simple tools and machineries.

The recent directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure rationalization of government agencies as recommended by Oronsaye civil service committee report towards economic adjustment and structuring to more prudent spending in post-Covid 19 era has again been seized by the agents of darkness to obliterate the light that is NCAM, as far as agricultural mechanization is concerned.

 Before now, there had been what looked like rivalry between NASENI and NCAM, with the establishment by NASENI of the Agricultural Machinery & Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI), Mbutu Aboh Mbaise, Imo state even as NCAM is alive and kicking! At the time AMEDI was created, its creation was really uncalled for and it is simply a duplication of efforts.

We believe that any attempt to move NCAM under any other agency would amount to misplacement of priority which runs counter to the government’s intention of prioritizing agriculture. And with this happening just after the approval of agricultural mechanization loan of about $1.2billion, shows there is more to it than meets the eyes!

1.  NCAM is the only centre that has a statutory mandate to drive agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria, and they are being threatened with rationalisation from time to time despite their retinue of innovative solutions in the agricultural value chain, including the recent innovation of a suitable tractor ( tri-tractor) for Nigeria as once pointed to us by Engr. Ademola Issac Olorunfemi, the former President of Nigerian Society of Engineers.

In view of comparative advantage in terms of trade in the world market, Agriculture is one potential sector of the economy Nigeria can effectively harness to galvanise her lean foreign exchange reserves knowing full well that our economic strength in crude oil is on the decline, while there is immediate need for economic diversification to our locally produced foods and products imported for billions of dollar.

With this in mind, instead of moving NCAM elsewhere, the more rational option would have been the strengthening of NCAM with more governmental political support that will fortify it to perform its mandate to optimal capacity that will be able to speed up the agricultural mechanization priority of the FG through more local and international partnerships with private sector and the commercialization of proto-type machines and other implements for drudgery reduction and value additions from production through processing  to marketing.

This editorial is not meant to praise sing, but rather to pin-point issue that will be of greater benefit to the entire nation in terms of priority appropriation. We are very aware that NCAM needs to be more conspicuous as regards their activities and mandate, but we cannot pretend that the political will power of Government has to be stepped up for the Centre to be more effective through aggressive challenges that will keep them constantly on their toes rather than this attempt to move them under NASENI in the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology.

To us, this is perceived as coup d’ etat against mechanization and agricultural development programme of President Buhari that are aimed at uplifting farming communities and processing centre from drudgery and poverty.

We are aware that the Nigerian Institute of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) are already against this merger and very much ready to partner with the centre for more achievement in terms of commercialization. This is wholesome and they must not relent for the sustainability of many achievements of NCAM that have earned it recognition as centre of excellence for agricultural mechanization in 2019 in about 23 nations under the umbrella of West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD). We think this committee making this recommendation need to visit this centre to see things on ground as we have no doubt they will have a change of decision against their initial thought.