…task FG on database for farmers for effective intervention
The Nigerian government needs to significantly increase investment in the agricultural sector to effectively tackle hunger, especially in the face of worsening climate change and the impact of conflict and socio-economic challenges, stakeholders said on Wednesday.
They made this recommendation at a plenary session on ‘tackling hunger’ at the 30th Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja.
Assalama Sidi, regional director for West and Central Africa at Oxfam International, expressed concerns that Nigeria’s budgetary commitment is insufficient to drive the desired growth in this critical sector.
She urged the government to fulfil its obligations under the Malabo Agreement, which mandates African nations to allocate at least 10 percent of their budgets to agriculture.
“Almost 11 years later, we’re still spending around three percent in this important sector that employs most of the young people and women in Africa.
One thing I would expect from the government of Nigeria is to see an increase in the budget for the agriculture sector,” she said.
Sidi emphasised the importance of enhanced financing to promote mechanisation among small-scale farmers, advocating for government subsidies to help them acquire necessary machinery.
“If not, we’ll be creating another inequality issue where the wealthy would be getting all the mechanised tools while small-scale farmers are left behind,” she warned.
She also highlighted the detrimental impact of climate change on food production, noting that rising temperatures—1.5 times faster in West Africa—leading to increased flooding, droughts, and ultimately reduced agricultural yields.
“Temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster in West Africa, creating flooding, droughts, or less rain fall. Of course, that’s leading to a concerning decrease in agricultural yield in Nigeria. For instance, last year, we lost about £2.12 billion, which is about 50 percent of its agricultural production.”
Read also: AfDB, Children’s Fund pledge $50m to tackle hunger in Nigeria, others
She pointed out that this decline in production is contributing to soaring food inflation, which reached 40 percent in March 2024, with the agricultural sector, which used to employ 70 percent of the workforce, now declining due to climate change issues.
The regional director urged the government to take concrete actions to address the challenges facing the agricultural sector, reviewing policies in favour of small-scale farmers and women, who constitute the majority of agriculturists in Africa.
David Stevenson, country director of the World Food Programme, highlighted the potential for meaningful collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance funding for agriculture and related interventions.
He urged the government to ensure farmers return to their farms and receive seeds and fertilisers at the right time.
Boye Olusanya, CEO of Flour Mills Nigeria PLC, stressed that increasing agricultural yields is crucial for driving industrialisation in Nigeria, stating that the country has a yield problem.
“Let’s double yield to increase food production and de-risk funding for smallholder farmers to guarantee output,” he urged.
Olusanya further underscored the importance of creating a comprehensive database of farmers to facilitate targeted funding. “If we get that right, there will be a significant improvement that smallholder farmers will see,” he stressed.
He recommended that the government develop a data system to provide early warnings and indicators on where private sector intervention is most needed.
Additionally, he called for government support in establishing strategic reserves and storage solutions to ensure price stability for agricultural products.
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