Farmers in Nigeria are urging the government to address longstanding issues that hinder productivity and eliminate corruption within agricultural intervention programs. Their comments came in response to President Bola Tinubu's recent blueprint for achieving food security and the declaration of a state of emergency, which aims to maximize agricultural value chain opportunities and create jobs for the country's large youth population.
Tinubu's plan involves utilizing savings from fuel subsidy removal to revamp the agricultural sector and increase its long-term contribution to 70 percent. However, farmers in Africa's largest economy emphasized that transparent and properly implemented intervention programs are crucial to achieving this goal. They specifically called for the exclusion of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from controlling any intervention funds allocated to the sector.
To ensure that real farmers benefit from intervention programs and drive significant impact, farmers stressed the need for transparency, proper implementation, and institutionalization of these programs within the Bank of Agriculture. Jude Obi, President of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria, highlighted the importance of removing the CBN's control over interventions and eliminating corruption in the programs. He emphasized that addressing lingering issues that hamper productivity is essential for the success of the government's initiatives, warning against repeating past failures.
The CBN has faced substantial criticism for its poor management of the Anchor Borrowers Program, which was the principal initiative in the previous administration's efforts to achieve food security. The failure of numerous farmers to repay loans extended to them under this program underscores the weaknesses in the intervention initiative, with Nigeria's yield per hectare still lagging behind that of its African counterparts.
Ibrahim Kabiru, National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, expressed hope that the President's plan would lead to the attainment of food security. Kabiru called on the government to reassess the CBN's intervention programs in the agricultural sector, emphasizing the importance of transparency and proper implementation. He suggested that intervention programs should be institutionalized and managed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with various farmers' associations, rather than relying solely on the apex bank.
Ensuring transparency, eliminating corruption, and addressing productivity limitations are key factors in transforming Nigeria's agricultural sector and achieving food security. Farmers are hopeful that the government will take these concerns into account and work towards effective implementation of intervention programs to benefit the nation's farmers and boost agricultural productivity.
