AFAN hails Nigeria’s exit, asks for re-positioning of Agriculture

The recently announced exit of Nigeria from economic recession by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been commended by the President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Architect Kabiru Ibrahim who said that Agriculture in Nigeria must be re-positioned to forestall return to another recession through involvement of major stakeholders. Ibrahim said this in a statement made available to Food Farm News last week Thursday.

                       

Ibrahim stated that ‘’ Nigeria’s exit from recession will be further accomplished by sustainable growth if agriculture is properly re-positioned adding that any data capturing exercise without the involvement of the states’ ministries of agriculture, federal director of agriculture and farmers-associations would be an invitation to failure and retrogression into another recession.

The statement blamed the failure of the sector on corruption, nepotism and shortsightedness of those that are meant to implement agricultural programmes in the country, saying the trend must be reversed to forestall future failure as the farmers are asked to speak with one voice.

It was said in the release that appointing consultants and asking them to proceed without any inputs from the beneficiaries like farmers can resort to third recession, stressed that the need for reliable data for proper planning for fertilizer, seed production, mechanization, storage, processing, marketing and many other ones like extension services.

                      

Contents of the statement read further thus ‘’ In the period between 2015 and now there have been so many interventions from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) , donor organizations and the organized private sector to cause a decisive quantum leap towards food sufficiency in Nigeria, but I am quick to point out that we are still far away from that because the Small Holders farmers ( SHFs)  are not properly carried along. The farmer associations are not speaking with one voice to really be able to assert themselves in the Agricultural space. The interventions are not reaching the appropriate farmers who will work the soil to really unleash the desired productivity because the drivers of the interventions are not necessarily targeting the actual engine room of Agricultural production. Just like all programs in Nigeria the effort is marred by corruption, nepotism and shortsightedness.

There are various aspects of Agricultural development that we have to address contiguously to be able to achieve food security in this country’’

‘’The cross cutting areas that must be addressed generally and promptly are: 

1. Production

2. Processing

3. Storage and

4. Marketing

These four areas require: 

1. The farmers,

2. Arable land, 

4. Irrigation,

5. Good seeds,

6. Mechanization, 7.power, 

8. Research and development, 

9. Monitoring and evaluation and 

10. Most importantly jobs for the youth to be able to improve the purchasing power of the people who will be able to buy the food so produced’’

‘’From the foregoing it is absolutely necessary to reappraise the whole modus operandi towards the achievement of food security in Nigeria.

To achieve these results we must:

1. Get the farmer-associations to speak with one voice under AFAN.

2. Appoint focused and competent individuals to drive all institutions saddled with the responsibility of bringing about a veritable FOOD SYSTEM.

3. Ensure transparency in achieving milestones within set timelines.

4. Ensure appropriate investments by adhering to benchmarks set in the 17 SDGs within the country’s Short Term, Medium Term and Long Term National Plans including agenda 2050’’