Agriculture
ACTIONAID Nigeria has urged state governments to build their own food Silos like the Federal Government, to ensure food production and security in the country.
The organisation also tasked them to establishing Cottage Plants that could stimulate massive food production and processing, to boost their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR).
Mr Azubike Nwokoye, Manager, Food and Agricultural Programme, Action Aid Nigeria, gave the charges during a one-Day Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Kogi 2023 Agriculture Budget Process and Implementation in Lokoja, Kogi capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by the State Budget Committee Group (BCG), Small Scale Woman Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON) in conjunction with Ministry of Agriculture and ActionAid Nigeria.
“If all the 36 states, including FCT, will boldly build up their individual food silos as the federal government and set up various cottage plants in relation to what they produce, there will be massive food production and security.
“There should be a rethink by the government to change the tide as soon as possible, considering the food crisis staring most nations across the world as a result of the Russian – Ukraine War.
“Another dangerous trend is the inability of state to comply with the 10 per cent MacArthur Declaration of 2021 in their budget allocations to agricultural sector, ” he warned.
Nwokoye said, “This is because no state in Nigeria has been able to budget N94 billion to the agricultural sector and released whatever budgeted to the sector to help improve food production.”
He disclosed that N3. 5 trillion was what Nigeria suffers as deficit or post harvest loses, which became very expedient for the states to take care of their food production and security.
Also, the Special Adviser (SA) to Gov. Yahaya Bello on Agriculture, Mr Abdulmumuni Okara, said Kogi was at the fore front in food production, especially in the areas of Rice, Cassava, Cashew, Shea butter, amongst others.
He disclosed that the government recently signed 10 Public Private Partnerships (PPP) but that unfortunately, some of them had backed out for no just reasons.
According to him, the government is very much committed to partnering with women farmers in the state to support their relentless efforts in food production.
Hajia Safiya Yahaya, SWOFON Chairperson, lamented the non release of the budget allocation to the women farmers in the state, whom she said were worse hit by flooding and would need serious assistance to stand.
Earlier, Chairperson, Kogi budget Committee Group (BCG), Mr Mathias Okpanachi, said that the meeting was aimed at harnessing capabilities and collaborative efforts of stakeholders to improve on allocations and development of the agricultural sector. (NAN)
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Tags: Abdulmumuni Okara ActionAid Nigeria Azubike Nwokoye Gov. Yahaya Bello SWOFON
