Politics
ABDULRAHMAN Ayuba, Coordinator, Public Financing of Agriculture (PFA) Project, funded by ActionAid Nigeria, has advocated public participation in budgeting for agriculture in Kwara.
He said this would help the project to analyse the budget and advise the government accordingly before the document would be sent to the State House of Assembly for passage into law.
Ayuba made the call when he led other members of the project on a courtesy call to the state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to him, the project is to engage government in the area of budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector and has been going on for eight years in Kwara and six other states.
He said the project sought to ensure that support was given to farmers, particularly vulnerable rural women farmers through government initiatives.
Ayuba said that the project had been working to promote sustainable agriculture and food security in Kwara and Nigeria in the last eight years.
He explained that his members alongside other non-governmental organisations and the women farmers group had been working and engaging the government in the area of budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector.
Others are budget analysis and tracking, parliamentary briefing and consultation on annual budget preparation process.
Ayuba said this was aimed at boosting the agriculture sector through access to farm inputs and finance, quality extension services and infrastructural facilities.
He, however, noted that lack of access to agriculture budget estimates at the preparation stage was hindering the job of the members.
Responding on behalf the ministry, Mrs Maryam Nurudeen, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, commended the project for serving as advocate for poor farmers.
She assured the group of government’s support for poor and vulnerable farmers, particularly the women group.
She, however, asked women farmer groups in the state to always write the ministry for whatever input support they would need for next farming season ahead of budget preparation. (NAN)
– Jun. 19, 2020 @ 17:29 GMT |
Tags: Group advocates stakeholders’ participation in budgeting in Kwara
