INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND IMPACT ON FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA. Paper Presented at the 2014 National Agricultural Show Seminar, By Prof. B. Y. Abubakar, OFR Executive Secretary, ARCN.

INTRODUCTION: 

 

Sustainable agricultural growth requires greater emphasis on productivity growth in view of declining cultivable areas:

Application of innovative techniques for agricultural production is a fundamental and crucial step in improving livelihoods in most societies. There is generally a strong correlation between increased agricultural research investment and agricultural productivity.  Our priority - Ensure that research makes the greatest possible contribution to raising human welfare using the limited available resources while attracting more investments.

This presentation examines investments in agricultural research and its impact on food security in Nigeria. 

                     WHY INVEST IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH?

Poor funding of research leads to inability to deliver improved agricultural technologies, achieve increased productivity and other related benefits. There is a high rate of return to society on investments in agricultural research. For example, for every US dollar spent on agricultural research in 2010 in Brazil, US$9.35 accrued to the society.

             SOURCES OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FUNDING IN NIGERIA

Primary source of funding is the Federal Government as Private sector investments are negligible , Capital Budget releases are usually incomplete (about 50% of approved ) and often out of tune with research work plans . 

                    AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SPENDING TREND IN NIGERIA

Investment in agricultural research doubled between 2000 & 2008 owing to high personnel cost and increased capital allocation. However, allocations demonstrated a high level of fluctuation and instability (Figure 1) 

Figure 1: Nominal Capital budgetary allocation to NARIs (2000-2014)

Note: 2009 figure includes ₦1B released under CARGS, while 2012, 2013 and 2014 includes R&D allocations of ₦2.25B, ₦2.71B and 0.70B, under the ATA in Ministry’s.

         AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SPENDING TREND IN NIGERIA                                     

Figure 2: Distribution of 2014 budgetary allocations to agricultural research in Nigeria 

Source: Abubakar (2014)

      AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SPENDING TREND IN NIGERIA

The national expenditure in major imports by far outweighs agricultural research investments in Nigeria. For example, 1 week rice import = 2010 Capital allocation to NARIs (₦6.9 Billion)

Figure 3: Comparison between Research and Infrastructural allocations by NARIs (2005-2009)

Source: Malomo (2013)

                

PERFORMANCE OF NIGERIA IN FOOD SECURITY

Nigeria has made significant progress in food security status (Figures 4-6) and that explains why the country achieved MDG 1 about 2 years ahead of the target date.

                                        Figure 4: Trend of Global Hunger Index for Nigeria

   

                 PERFORMANCE OF NIGERIA IN FOOD SECURITY

Figure 5: Prevalence of food inadequacy in Nigeria (1990 – 2012) 

 Prevalence of food inadequacy reduced by about 67% between 1990 and 2010 

                 PERFORMANCE OF NIGERIA IN FOOD SECURITY

Figure 6: Number of undernourished people in Nigeria

Table 1: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURAL 

RESEARCH AND FOOD SECURITY INDICATORS IN NIGERIA.

Class of food security indicator	Food security indicator	Correlation
Food availability	Average dietary energy supply adequacy	HP
	Share of dietary energy supply derived from cereals and roots	HP
	Average supply of protein (gr/cap/day)	HP
	Average supply of protein of animal origin	HP
	Average value of food production	LP
Food accessibility	Depth of food deficit	HN
	Prevalence of food inadequacy	HN
	Prevalence of undernourishment	HN
Food stability	Domestic food price volatility index	HN
	Cereal import dependency ratio	LN
	Per capita food supply variability	MN

Note: HP = High +; LP = Low +; MP = Medium +;

Improved investment in agricultural research will lead to better availability and access to food as well as reducing vulnerability to food insecurity in Nigeria.  

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIES AND IMPACT ON FOOD SECURITY.

A study commissioned by ARCN showed that over 170 agricultural technologies were developed by the NARIs from 1997 – 2008 (ARCN, 2010).

Over 50 technologies have been developed by NARIs, universities and other stakeholders under CARGS in the course of implementation of the scheme.  In 2008 – 2009, ARCN also commissioned a series of impact assessment studies of technologies developed by the NARIs to measure benefits to end-users. The studies revealed that agricultural technologies in Nigeria had positive social and economic impacts on adopters and other end-users.

Annual mean monetary gain to society ranged from low for early bearing cocoa variety to high for six rice varieties studied (Table 2).

Adopters of many of the technologies were found to be more food secured than non-adopters. Both expenditure and income-base poverty gap indices indicated worsening poverty towards non-adopters. Other social gains abound.

NARI	Commodity	Technology	Year of Release	Monetary gain to society
CRIN	Cocoa	Early bearing variety (precocity)	2004	Low
NRCRI*	Cassava	TMS 30572 NR 8082	1990 1998	Moderate
NCRI**	Rice	FARO 44, 46 & 52 FARO 48 & 51 FARO 55	1992 2001 2003	High
IAR***	Maize	SAMAZ-11	2000	Moderate
LCRI	Millet	LCIC-MV-1	2000	Moderate
NAPRI	Chicken	ShikaBrown Layer	2000	High

Note: *Developed by IITA, Ibadan and NRCRI, Umudike; **Developed by IITA, IRRI, AfricaRice and adapted by NCRI; ***Developed by IAR, Zaria and IITA, Ibadan

Source:  Phillips et al. (2009, 2010) 

                                  WAY FORWARD

*Massive and sustained public and private investments in R&D are required in order for agriculture to benefit from developed technologies.

*Need to target technologies that enhance improving efficiency of farmers’ use of agricultural inputs.

*Need to separate research funds from capital budget to ensure timely releases and increased research outputs.

*Need for greater focus on adding value to outputs from primary production through processing.

*Improve research-extension linkages towards enhancing the social benefits derivable from agricultural research investments. 

                                                    CONCLUSION

*Improving agricultural research investment would result in better food security status in Nigeria.

*Owing to the time lag between investment and research output, there is need for sustainable improved resources mobilization for agricultural research operations in Nigeria.

*Hence, the justification to reform and restructure the research system to be more responsive to the needs of end-users.

Sokoto Fadama dedicates National Assembly award to government and people.

The Coordinator, Sokoto state Fadama 111, Alhaji Muhammed Barshair Mustapha has dedicated the National Assembly's award of outstanding Fadama 111 project in the North West Geo- Political Zone  based on its positive impact on rural communities development to the people and the present administration of His Exellency, Alhaji ( Dr.) Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko saying this is best project in the state for the agricultural development towards food security and wealth creation to rural people.

The House Committee on Rural Development, National Assembly, Abuja in collaboration with Absolute Security and Consultancy Services LTD has in December 9th awarded the Sokoto state fadama 111 project the “Outstanding Fadama 111 Project in the North West Geopolitical Zone” which was received by the state coordinator of the project, Alhaji Muhammed Mutapha who immediately dedicate the award to the governor and the entire people of the state.

In his word of appreciation to his commissioner, Alhaji Mustapha said that “ i would like to use this medium to express the appreciation of the state project office to your good office and your humble Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Agriculture, and chairman Fadama SFTC, the ministry, the Sokoto state Government , the National Project Coordinator, National Fadama Cordintion Office , the World Bank and other stakeholders for their support over the years, which immensely contributes to our various achievements and particularly in achieving this feat. On behalf of the state project office, it is indeed our honour to dedicate this award to the good people of Sokoto State and the good Government of Sokoto State”.

This award according to the organizer is rural communities' development based as the Sokoto state fadama 111 project is anchored on the Community Demand Driven (CDD) approach which gives the rural people opportunity to decide on how the resources are to be allocated among the priorities that they themselves will manage the funds. And this is done through a socially- inclusive participatory process of local development planning. Extensive facilitation, training, and technical assistance were provided through the project to ensure that poor communities were provided through the project to ensure that rural poor communities, including women and vulnerable groups, especially the physically challenged, participated in the collective decision-making project.

It is noted that the commitment of his Excellency and local government chairmen through prompt payment of counterpart fund to the project have greatly assisted in achieving  the dream of the World Bank- Federal Government project for the development of rural communities and agriculture in the state.

Why Lagos purchases paddy rice from Kebbi, Niger, -Dr. Fashola explains.

I am Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, Consultant for Lagos State rice project.

Where is the source of your Paddy in the state?

 Lagos State has a very unique system, i call it unique because Lagos state has a small land space in terms of agricultural cultivations, but we have a high income earning and we eat a lot of rice because we have a population that is urban based, therefore through the initiative of His Excellency, Dr Babatunde Raji Fashola, we started a programme which is called rice for job, where we are encouraging young graduates to go into rice cultivations in some pilot locations like in Badagry.  At the time we started in 2008,  less than 30 hectares of rice production was accomplished, and which as at today is over 300 hectares within the state alone, but we realised that there is need for more paddy and this is making us to explore other states.

Policy trust of his Excellency has given the state the responsibility of acquiring other lands in other states, so we've acquired land for rice and  other crops in other states, particularly for rice we have 500 hectares of land in Ogun State and there had been other land acquisitions for other crops across other states, but we still cannot meet the need  of the mill capacity of the centre established.  This has now informed the partnership with Niger  and Kebbi states towards buying paddy for commercial mill as Lagos state is the only state in South West that has an integrated rice mill  of 20,000 metric tons capacity that will need 5000 hectares of rice land which we do not have right now, so we have to buy paddy from other states.

How will you describe the acceptability of the rice mill in the market especially in Lagos?

 The acceptability has been quite good, because it is nutritionally fresh compared to imported rice that must have been stored for a minimum of 5 year.  Eko rice, is fresh, parboiled and it is unpolished, which gives a high nutrition benefit than anything you have in the market.