By Felicia Imohimi

Community Action for Food Security (CAFS), an NGO, has called on governments and development partners to help drive action that would transform Nigeria’s food systems for the well-being of the populace.

Executive Director of CAFS, Mr Azeez Salawu, made the call at the virtual UN Food Systems Independent Dialogue (FSSD) convened by the organisation on Tuesday.

The dialogue is titled “Adaptive Approaches for Food Systems Sustainability in Nigeria”.

Salawu said the objective of the meeting was to “spark critical discussion, inspire, engage, network, connect and form a formidable partnership that will be based on investing in food security and rural development leading to the achievement SDGs,”.

He, therefore, urged all tiers of governments and partners to help drive action through more strategic programmes that have a direct impact on small scale farmers, youth and women in agriculture.

The director further advocated robust extension services and an easy access market across the agricultural value chain.

Salawu explained that such action would go a long way in addressing “serious deterioration of food production systems currently bedeviling the country.

“As we commence the decade of action in the attainment of the 2030 SDGs, we call on leaders to find a pathway for more participation of young people.

“The FSSD is coming at the right time as we are also faced with a pandemic that has made it even worst for our small scale farmers to operate in their respective communities thereby reducing their profits and also affecting the economy,” he said.

According to him, the hunger virus is also around as a lot of poor people have been affected.

“For us at CAFS, we strongly believe that there is a need for new policies that will be tailored for a better economy and the environment.

“All hands must be on deck especially as we adapt to the new normal.

“Climate change is another challenge to the Nigeria food system and the environment which calls for more synergy as we need to adapt to the various effects of climate change.

“The small scale farmers should be put into consideration as they are mostly affected by the effect of climate change,” he said.

Salawu gave the assurance that CAFS would continue to guide, strengthen and equip young farmers through continuous awareness, linkages and more support to enhance proper adaptation to climate change for a better food system sustainability in Nigeria.

Earlier, Mrs Idowu Olusola, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, lauded the organiser of the conference.

Olusola said that the conference was aimed at launching a bold new action to deliver progress on all the 17 SDGs which in a large extent relate to a healthier, equitable and sustainable food system.

She identified food systems as touching every aspect of human existence describing the systems as having the power to bring people together as families, communities and nations.

The permanent secretary, however, emphasised that when food systems failed, the resulting disorder threatens the education, health and economy, as well as human rights, peace and security.

“The food and nutrition security in Nigeria today faces enormous challenges.

“These challenges emanate from climate changes, insurgency that displaced population from having access to their farmlands, land tenure system, poor investment in food production and poor processing, inadequate preservation resulting in huge losses.

“Also poor handling of foods, as well as inadequate monitoring and implementation of regulatory frameworks.

“The fragilities and inequalities of our food systems has resulted in general lack of food, hunger and starvation which millions of people around the various states of the Federation, including the FCT have experienced, even during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” she said.

The Food System Dialogue (FSSD) according to her, is expected to improve food and nutrition security in Nigeria, reduce hunger and the prevalence of malnutrition.

“It is also to create a more inclusive healthier food system, encourage collaborative approach towards building a food system in Nigeria and hence the achievement of the SDGs,” she said.

She explained that in an effort to ensure that the food systems are more sustainable, inclusive and resilient; the Nigerian government being a member of the UN was working with multiple stakeholders.

Such collaboration, according to her, is to contribute to making substantial and positive changes in the food system. (NAN)

By Doris Esa

The Federal Government has distributed free Agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers in Maiduguri, Borno, to boost Agricultural production in the state and Nigeria in general.

The Chief Information Officer, Mr Ezeaja Ikemefuna, in the ministry, made this known in a statement on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Ikemefuna said  Minister of State, Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Shehuri, disclosed this at the roll out ceremony of the distribution of free agricultural inputs to farmers in Maiduguri.

He  quoted the minister as saying that the smallholder farmers operate on little but very significant plots of land for which they toiled all year round producing basic food and cash crops and contribute over 80 per cent to the national food supply.

Shehuri said the Federal Government would continue to support smallholder farmers as well as the physically challenged farmers in Borno, to boost Agricultural production in the state and Nigeria in general.

The minister added that the smallholder farmers would play a major role in ensuring food security and towards averting food scarcity in the 2021 dry season farming which is on-going.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that smallholder farmers must be supported with seeds, Agro chemicals and small Agro equipment to rekindle their hope and accelerate their recovery process from the economic loss suffered during the period of Pandemic.

“Extension Services has been rejigged to serve farmers so that there is seamless and unbroken food supply chain across the country.

“These efforts had since paid off as our food requirement is mostly produced locally with little or no consideration for food imports since COVID-19 set in,” he said.

The minister reiterated the commitment of the ministry towards making the country self sufficient in food production through appropriate Inputs distribution which are available to farmers on subsidy that ranges from 50 per cent to 100 per cent.

According to him, this initiative to a large extent has helped the farmers to increase their profits and earn income to families economically.

He observed that in spite of the security challenges in the state, farmers had demonstrated resilience by optimizing productivity to contribute to national food security.

Shehuri said that the Federal Government would continue to provide the much needed support to further encourage them towards boosting food production and providing rural infrastructure to support their efforts.

The minister further said that the Rural Infrastructures were mainly rural roads, solar boreholes, street lights and rural markets were distributed across the three senatorial districts.

” The items provided for farmers are ; certified Rice seeds – faro 44(24MT), Maize foundation seed (15MT), Cashew nuts (1,5MT) Groundnut foundation (2.5MT),Cashew seeds (1.5MT), Castor foundation (1MT), 3HP irrigation water pumps among others.

“It should be noted that this is 3rd in the series of the distribution of the Ministry’s palliative incentives to farmers in the North East after Gombe and Bauchi states that were just concluded last week.

“So far 12 states have benefitted Nationwide with quality Inputs to sustain the food production, create jobs and the grow the economy from rural base,” he said,

The minister disclosed that in the roll out distribution exercise, “at least 35 per cent of the agricultural inputs were targeted at women farmers in line with the targets set in our National Gender Plan and Policies aimed at ensuring increased opportunities for women.”

“This has been communicated to the Farmer Associations accordingly,” he said

He said the Lake Chad Research Institute, located in Maiduguri was available for state government and other stakeholders in application and updating of knowledge in key areas of Agriculture and also centre of excellence designated for wheat research in Sub Sahara Africa.

In his remark, Borno Gov. Prof. Babagana Zulum, represented by the Chief of Staff, Prof. Isa Hussein ,lauded the Agricultural policies and visionary leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari in the sector geared towards job creation, food sufficiency and economic growth .

He appealed to the farmers to make judicious use of the inputs strictly for farming and not to sale the Agricultural Inputs.

Speaking, Director, Federal Department of Agriculture in the Ministry, Mrs Karima Babangida, thanked  Zulum and other stakeholders for their support.

She urged the farmers to key in the value chain policy of the Ministry which is aimed towards achieving food sufficiency, increase earnings and job creation for the farmers.

In another development, the minister inaugurated the Bolari Rural Modern Market in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

At the event , he said that the modern market would ensure that the farmers had their food production at identified spots which would increase sales and earnings.

He also visited the Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri whose mandate is to improve the yield and disease resistance of Millet, Wheat and Barley and experiment different systems of farming in the north east to identify which one is suitable for each crop.

The minister asked the management of the institute to be self sufficient and explore alternative financial options of funding beyond focusing solely on budgetary allocation. (NAN)

Felicia Imohimi

Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has urged farmers to ensure proper biosecurity in their poultry farms to guard against transmission of Avian Influenza popularly known as Bird Flu to their farms.

The President of the association, Mr Ezekiel Mam, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, spoke in respect of the outbreak of bird flu in Nigeria, South Korea and other parts of the world.

Mam, who described avian influenza as airborne disease, noted that the outbreak usually occurred during cold weather between November and February.

He further advised farmers to restrict movement of humans to their farms.

According to him, farmers should make sure they disinfect all their equipment and ensure the environment is not accessible to pest because if they have contact with poultry they can easily infest the farm.

Mam called for surveillance, adding that avian influenza could easily be transmitted through the air.

He tasked governments on awareness creation among the populace on the disease to guide against its transformation.

He also appealed to the Federal Government to encourage the Customs and other security agencies to enforce strict ban on the importation of frozen poultry products, eggs and chicks to avoid the catastrophe.

NAN recalls that Hong Kong’s food safety authority on Jan. 18, suspended the importation of poultry meat and products from different areas in Britain, Germany and South Korea due to the outbreak of the bird flu. (NAN)

By Simon Akoje

An Economist, Mr Moses Igbrude, has urged the Federal Government to subsidise more agricultural  inputs to boost food output and curb rise in inflation rate.

Igbrude, who is the Chief Executive Officer of  Ogu investment, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday  that  subsidising the cost of fertilisers and crops seedlings would ensure a better harvest.

He added that the Federal Government should  encourage more states to embrace mechanised  agriculture.

“If more states begin to adopt more modern agricultural approach they will grow based on their food comparative advantages.

“This is as  mechanised agricultural practice is the panacea to meet our food security and curb  importation,” he said.

According to him, the  Federal Government should continue to support the real sector of the economy in order to boost productivity and drive down inflation.

He also suggested that  monitory authorities should have a single exchange rate for the economy.

“ The current multiple exchange rate is fuelling inflation spikes  because of our import driven nature.

“ The rate gives room for speculators to thrive and it is quite inimical to investors to have confidence in the economy,” he said.

NAN reports that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) , which measures inflation , increased by 15.75 per cent  (year-on-year) in December 2020.

In its monthly report released on Friday, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that the increase was 0.86 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in November 2020 at 14.89 per cent.

The urban inflation also increased in December 2020 by 16.33 per cent (year-on-year) in December 2020 from 15.47 per cent recorded in November 2020,while the rural inflation rate increased by 15.20 per cent in December 2020. (NAN)

By Olubukola Aiyedogbon

The Kwara Governor, Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has launched a 10-year Agricultural Transformation Plan, designed to make Kwara food sufficient  by 2030.

“The essence of this document is to ensure food security, attract investments to the sector, create jobs, reduce poverty, and create inclusive growth by giving equal opportunities for women and girls to also benefit from everything that this plan has to offer.

“This week is one of the most exciting weeks, because I met the French Ambassador to Nigeria who has agreed to send a team to Kwara state. He is particularly interested in the agricultural sector, most especially the livestock sector”, he said at the inauguration  in Ilorin.

AbdulRazaq said that the plan was hinged on six pillars: crop production, finance, livestock, access to market, value chain, and cross-cutting programmes, in addition to detailed monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to constantly interrogate the journey, while attention is also paid to sustainability.

The Governor said: “the document comes with measurable milestones to ensure faithful implementations by all the stakeholders.

“It is a 10-year plan which is based on verifiable data gathered from field research and extensive consultations with various stakeholders and experts in the sector.

“The plan spells out the opportunities and challenges in the agricultural sector in the state, and identifies the six pillars that are critical to the success of the plan”.

The Governor also said that he was working on an agreement with the Lagos state government on food production, adding that Kwara will invest N2bn in the agricultural sector, in partnership with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

“This will be anchored by a department at Kwara State University, Malette, which will be at Ilesha Baruba. This administration will conclude the construction of the campus.

“The campus has extensive land which I have visited, so NEPAD is investing in Kwara. I am also the chairman of the programme’s steering committee. It will make Kwara’s agriculture programme a huge success.

“I thank all the stakeholders, our partners and our team, for the success of this work. However, the most challenging part is ensuring successful implementation of the plan to make Kwara food sufficient by 2030.

“This is achievable if everyone plays their part. As an administration, we will mobilise every resource in support of this dream”, AbdulRazaq said.

Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu noted that the state administration was making efforts to improve rural road infrastructure, for easy movement of farm produce.

“This plan, if well implemented, will improve the state’s internally generated revenue, which is very important. With the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), about 700kms will be taken care of and the agricultural transformation plan will be a plus to us all in the state”, he said.

The Technical Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, AbdulQowiy Olododo, explained that the plan was unique and comprehensive, as it captured both the enormous potentials in the sector as well as the actionable steps needed to harness such potentials and turn them into tangible benefits for all.

“In line with the vision of the Governor, this transformation plan has been designed to deliver unending benefits to the people of Kwara.

“The benefits include, but are not limited to, massive decent job creation for women and youths, improved nutrition, availability and affordability of quality food, rural infrastructure development, improved standard of living and economic growth”, he said.

The state Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Muhammad Aboki, commended the AbdulRazaq-led administration for consulting and involving farmers in the plan and for developing the sector to attain food security.

“The governor’s words can be taken to the bank. We have absolute confidence in your leadership because of what you have demonstrated, not only in agriculture but in all spheres of economy in the state.

“All farmers in Kwara are following the trend of events and are very happy with your laudable programmes and projects”, the chairman said. (NAN)

By Bukola Adewumi
The Nigeria Agribusiness Register (NAR) said it would partner National Shea Products Association of Nigeria (NASPAN) to trade shea butter as commodity exchange for the Nation’s economic benefit.

Its founder, Mr Roland Oroh, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Friday in Abuja while discussing the benefits of trading of agricultural products internationally.

Oroh said shea nut kernel was one of the commodities that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recommended to be included as tradable commodity in Nigeria commodity exchanges.

He said it was agreed by SEC that part of its implementation of a 10-year Capital Market Master Plan was to constitute a technical committee on Commodities Trading Ecosystem.

One of the recommendations of the committee was to identify commodities with good supply base in Nigeria for inclusion as a tradable commodity in the Nigeria Commodity Exchanges.

According to him, Nigeria has the largest number of shea trees in the world and contributes over 60 per cent of the total shea nut produced annually in West Africa.

Oroh said: “Nigeria can supply shea nut kernel to local buyers and those in West Africa while developing a local processing industry.”

He said that a panel session held at the second agribusiness networking (Agnet) titled, “Trading Shea Nuts and Shea Butter in Commodity Exchanges in Nigeria: How to Make It Happen” noted that shea was a tradable commodity.

He said that the Representatives of AFEX and the Lagos Commodity & Futures Exchange were of the view that the benefit of trading shea would increase quality and sustainability of the product from the production areas.

Oroh said NASPAN, the Agribusiness Register, the Commodity Brokers Association of Nigeria and the nation’s commodity exchanges and other stakeholders would work to make shea trading on the nation’s exchanges a reality.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NAR is supporting food and agribusiness investments in Nigeria and West Africa to scale and also turn impact-oriented investment intentions into actual investments.

They are the agribusiness investment facilitation arm of Commodities Development Initiative (CDI) a commercial NGO registered under the corporate laws of Nigeria.

NAR’s mission is to create impact and increase inclusion by supporting agribusiness start-ups and scale-ups with information, grants and access to impact capital and product markets.

This is through several products and services including the AgNet event, which brings fund providers and project promoters together to make commitments.