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Country Director of Oxfam in Nigeria, Constant Tchona, has called for an urgent need for improved agricultural productivity in the country especially given the changing climate patterns that affect rainfall and speed up erosion and desertification through the country.
He stated this during the launch of Oxfam Agriculture Budget Trends Analysis Report, as he said that agriculture is a central part of Nigeria’s economy and source of livelihood for a significant percentage of the population.
He stated that the sector in the country accounts for over 40 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue from the country’s total economic activities, employing a little above 60 per cent of the working population.
“the contribution of agriculture to the GDP is only about 24.43 per cent, and this makes the challenge posed by our low levels of agricultural productivity abundantly clear.
“Agriculture is a central part of Nigeria’s economy and source of livelihood for a significant percentage of the population. The agriculture sector in Nigeria accounts for over 40 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue from the country’s total economic activities – employing a little above 60 per cent of the working population.
Tchona also said that the Federal Government and state government in the country so not budget enough for agriculture and it often do not spend up to what is allocated for the sector.
He added that the level investment in agriculture has not exceeded five per cent budgetary allocation over the past four years which is a far cry from the 10 per cent committed to under the Africa-wide Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and food security.
“The Federal and State Governments in the country do not budget enough for agriculture and often do not spend up to what is allocated for the sector. The federal level investment in agriculture especially has not exceeded five per cent budgetary allocation over the past four years, a far cry from the 10 per cent committed to under the Africa-wide Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and food security.
“This helps to explain why smallholder farmers throughout the country remain at subsistence level: the sector sees the lowest levels of access to finance in all sectors in the country,” he said.
He thereby, called on stakeholders in the sector to engage the federal and the state governments on budget accountability, as the sector touches all lives.
He also emphasised the need for the country to bridge the gap in some critical areas in public investment at national and subnational levels; if it is to fulfill its vast potential in a key sector.
Tchona said that it is important to examine public investment in agriculture, because as much as 70 per cent of agriculture production comes from smallholder farmers.
Read Original Report Here By Independent
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