May 29: Buhari’s Agric Interventions, Movement Without Motion- Farmers

In this piece, CYNTHIA EGBOBOH examines the agric policy of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and writes that many Nigerians have yet to feel the impact as most food products are currently beyond the reach of Nigerians.

When President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of leadership of Nigeria on May 29, 2015, there were high expectations from Nigerians that the long awaited “Messiah” had come.

The word “Change” which was the campaign slogan of the All Progressives Congress during the build up to the 2015 general elections became almost as popular as Nigeria’s National Anthem.

Buhari’s administration came into office with three major promises to Nigerians. They are fighting insecurity, tackling corruption and reviving the economy. To revive the economy, the Buhari administration promised to pursue an economic diversification program that would make Nigeria produce what it needs and consume what it produces.

This was expected to be achieved through the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan were targeted spendings would be in key sectors of the economy such as infrastructure, agriculture, and solid minerals among others.

At the expiration of his first term, Buhari retained leadership for a second term in 2019, with a lot of promises under the next level agenda of the All Progressive Congress, being the political platform under which the President came into power.

Buhari in the APC manifesto had promised to deliver on projects in agriculture, infrastructure, power, finance, health among others.

Details of the manifesto as regard the agriculture sector showed that the government would create five million jobs through agriculture mechanisation policy, with tractors and processors; and offer support to one million farmers with input and through the Anchor borrowers scheme.

The plan also targeted at creating 1.5 million jobs along diary, beef, hide and skin, blood meal and crops, under the livestock transformation plan.

But stakeholders said that the government is still struggling in its quest to promote mechanisation in Nigeria agricultural space. They added that the livestock transformation plan on the other hand had suffered huge setback because of the clashes between farmers and herders.

Similarly, the Anchor borrowers scheme is barely being operated successfully, but certainly far from being an avenue for the creation of one million jobs.

The National President of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okafor in a chat with THE WHISTLER said that the impact of the government programs are not being felt because they are not often cascaded down to the grassroot.

According to him, most farmers are not fashioned into the policies of the government, hence implementation of such projects tend to fail.

He said, “The government just come up with policies without considering or consulting the farmers who are really practicing.

“Insecurity has posed a major threat to farming in Nigeria, and till date the government has not been able to come up with any tangible solution.”

According to him, the government cannot succeed on its mechanisation program without adequate partnership with the private sector.

“But the government has not shown any interest in this regard, purchasing tractors are expensive.

“As farmers we are working to get these tractors ourselves, not waiting for the government,” he said.

He said that instead of job creation as promised in the manifesto, many have lost their farms which are their source of livelihood.

Similarly, the Assistant National Publicity Secretary of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Salisu Mukhtar, said the government is chasing shadows instead of focusing on achieving its food security mandate.

Mukhtar said there had been an uncoordinated distribution of inputs and promotion of projects that are not related to the core mandate of the sector.

He said, “From 2019 to date, there have been issues around the renewal of the Agricultural Policy, the convening of Council on Agriculture, interference with activities of NGOs such as AFAN, protests by contractors for non payment, misinformation regarding allocation of funds for important activities like pest control.

“Others include, false information to the public on Mechanization, the arrant contravention of the seed Act 2019 which guides the Seed System, uncoordinated distribution of inputs, general mismanagement of the Ministry by alienating some key staff as well as high handedness, doing projects not related to the core mandate of Rural Development.”

The Association said that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention in agriculture has contributed more optimally to the search for food security than the ministry.

He said, “The general impression that the mandate of the FMARD is being taken over by so many institutions is the direct result of the ineffectiveness of the Minister who is always absent from Thursday to Tuesday every week taking trips paid by tax payers.

“The President is very passionate about agriculture as everyone knows but it is very clear that the continued stay in office of the current Minister is detrimental to all the gains made so far.

“In order to incentivize the farmers to continue the hard work of providing food at an affordable price to the nearly 200,000,000 Nigerians we appeal to the President to look into the activities of the Minister now.”