Director Hails FG’s Agric Programmes

The Country Director, Action aid Nigeria, Dr Hussaini Abdu, yesterday commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for evolving programmes that are impacting on the lives of Nigerians.

Abdu told Tide source in Abuja that the ministry, through its value chain programme, was supporting women in agriculture.

“The agriculture sector must be commended as things are systematically improving.

“One can see tangible improvement in terms of processes and systems being put in place.

“You see clear ambitions in terms of building value chain, bringing in women and supporting them and all that, it is highly commendable,” he said.

Abdu, however, regretted that the Maputo Declaration, which Nigeria is a signatory to, has not been met apart from its meeting in 2007.

“Since 2009, we have been experiencing gradual drop in resource allocation to the ministry.

“I am not sure the ministry is complaining, possibly because it is gradually evolving into a private sector driven ministry.

“In the Maputo declaration, which Nigeria is signatory to, each member nation is mandated to allocate 15 per cent of its annual budget to agriculture.

“Nigeria met that in 2007 but since then it has been dwindling and today it is even going ridiculously low.

“As a ministry with so many departments and agencies, if care is not taken, the little allocation could be easily consumed by recurrent expenditures, staff salaries and monument which is clearly showing in the budget,’’ Abdu said. He said that food safety and security was not all about when food was scarce but when the means of getting the food was not available.

The Action aid chief expressed doubt on the claim by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina that there would not be food scarcity due to the flood.