The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has said that the country has not been putting the right investments in the agricultural sector despite the need and the available resources for it.
The AAN Food and Agriculture Coordinator, Mr Azubike Nwokoye, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the sidelines of the National Dialogue on the 4th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Biennial Review (BR) Report organised by AAN in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Nwokoye noted that the federal government’s budget is less than 2% most times and most times, Nigeria is not meeting up the Malabo commitment adding that the issue of data is also a problem.
He said that in terms of data, there are different indicators that the country is supposed to be reporting on, but getting data in those areas is a challenge.
“We are not getting data in those areas as a country to report, so those are areas of improvement. First and foremost, the right investments need to be put in the agricultural sector in key areas. Those key areas include extension services, youths and women in agriculture, reducing post-harvest losses.
“We need to focus on supporting farmers to have storage and processing facilities to support in reducing post service losses and support income generation and also access to credit is also a big problem.
“There is also the challenge of proper investment in research and development. So, those are areas, and also access to labor saving technologies for smallholder women farmers. So, the most important component of it is the right investments,” Nwokoye said.
He said that the Biennial Review is a report which is done in every two years to the African Union Commission on the comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Result Framework.
On his part, the Director Planning and Policy Coordination, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ibrahim Tanimu, represented by the Deputy Director in the ministry, Abdulmalik Abdulganiyu said that the 2023 fourth Biennial Review Report was adopted at African Union Summit in February 2024 and officially launched at continental level in March, 2024.
He said the report indicated out of the 49 countries that reported there was no single country on track of achieving the 7 Malabo Commitments by 2025.
According to him, the meeting was designed to accord the country with the opportunity to identify data gaps and possible sources for the next Biennial review process as well as identify areas for preparation of policy brief for articulation of projects and programmes towards enhancing the country performance.
He said, “The country noted that credible data source in an evidence based manner continue to affect the true situation on the agricultural development under the context of global initiatives (SDGs), Continental (CAADP) and other National Plans in the country.
“The outcomes would help the Ministry to enhance our data generation, analysis & harmonization system for the promotion and development of commodity value chains towards achieving food security, wealth and job creations in the country.”
He also said in his presentation tagged ‘CAADP 4th BR’ report, said the country met 6.28 per cent out of the 9.29per cent benchmark set for each country at the 2023 fourth BR cycle.
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