By Femi Ogbonnikan
More than ever before, it has now become imperative for the government to redouble its efforts to increase food production to ensure the stability of the polity and enduring peace in the country. In Ogun State, the renewed focus of the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun on the agricultural sector aims to boost employment generation, reduce poverty and enhance sustainable food self-sufficiency in the State. This is coming at the right time given the threat of hunger to national security.
As a Yoruba wise saying goes, “Ohun ta’ o je l’ agbese ohun ta o se.” meaning “What we want to eat is, on the hierarchal scale, superior to what we want to do”. When hunger strikes, anything can happen. We are all witnesses to the recent anti-hunger protest that rocked some states of the federation. It is a wakeup call to governments at all levels to rise to the challenge of food crisis for an enduring peace to reign in the land. Though condemnable, the ensuing rampage underpins the practical and philosophical essence of another age-old adage, stressing the importance of food security and its connectedness to poverty reduction. “Tii ebi ba kuro ninu ise ise buse.” meaning “When hunger is taken out of poverty, poverty ends,” as elders say.
What’s more! Governor Abiodun, in a proactive move to enhance food production, has introduced a number of measures to step up the strategy for higher productivity to prevent hunger from rearing its ugly head once again in the state and the nation as a whole. Consequently, aligning with the Federal Government policy on food self-sufficiency, a week ago, he inaugurated the Committee on National Agricultural Growth Scheme in Ogun to encourage wet and dry season farming to ensure the availability of food all the year round, while also leaving sufficient for export.
To underscore the importance attached to the government’s initiative, the governor elected to be chairman of the Committee, while the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Bolu Owotomo will serve as the Vice Chairman. The State Coordinator of FMAFS is the Secretary.
During the inauguration of the committee, the Governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to develop all sectors of the state’s economy, particularly agriculture, due to its potential in revenue and employment generation, as well as food security and poverty alleviation. He gave the assurance during the inauguration of the 13-member State Working Committee (SWC) of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – AGRO POCKET, which took place at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
In his keynote address, he said: “Our target is to produce enough food to attain self-sufficiency in a short time and, in the long term, to produce enough food for other states and for export.
“As an administration, we are committed to the development of all sectors of our state economy. In particular, we recognize the immense potential of the agricultural sector, especially in employment generation, revenue generation, food security, and poverty alleviation.
“As a government, we are aware of our responsibility to provide the needed relief to our people, especially during these challenging times.
“The Federal government, alongside state governments, has respectively developed a framework and reforms for providing mutually reinforcing components, such as agricultural reforms, improved delivery of farm inputs, and quality extension services.”
He said Ogun State had identified viable sources of finance through partnerships with the federal government and the African Development Bank (AfDB), under the Policy-Based Operation (PBO) to boost agricultural production in both wet and dry seasons.
“You will recall that in the year 2023, a pilot scheme in 15 states of the federation was initiated, which was cultivated during the dry season. This led to an astronomical increase in wheat yield. The results revealed that an estimated 277,000 hectares of wheat were planted in Nigeria in 2023-2024, representing a 139 per cent increase over the previous year’s season.
“Undoubtedly, this result is the direct impact of the inputs received under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme supported by the African Development Bank.”
The governor assured that the state would give support to cassava, maize, and rice value chains covering a total of 2,400 smallholder farmers on 1,200 hectares of land. According to him, the farmers will pay 25 percent of the cost of inputs, while the Federal government will pay the remaining 75 percent during the wet season of 2024.
While reminding the committee members of the sacred mandate entrusted on them to ensure efficient running of the programme, he charged them to carry out their assignments with integrity and forthrightness. “This committee will also be replicated at the local government area levels, including representatives of different stakeholders reflecting the peculiarities of the local government areas,” the governor added.
He said his administration’s policy on agriculture had attracted investors to the state, citing the establishment of the Soilless Farm Laboratory at Awowo in Ewekoro Local Government Area as an example of agric business in the state. While commending President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, for the laudable initiative, Prince Abiodun expressed optimism that it would help in addressing the food challenge in the country.
The Olota of Ota, Oba (Prof) Abdulkabir Obalanlege, speaking on behalf of the members, also applauded the Federal Government for the initiative, saying it would help to bring down inflation as it would increase food production in the country. The monarch also thanked the governor for driving the process and for what he had done in the agricultural sector. He particularly commended the collaborative effort of the state government with foreign partners to reposition the Odeda Farm Settlement, pledging to work towards the success of the programme in the state.
In the same vein, the administration has also flagged off the distribution of fertilizers to farmers to address food scarcity in the state. The flagged off the first phase of the distribution of fertilizers to different categories of farmers took place on Monday in fulfillment of the renewed commitment of the administration’s promise to aggressively tackle food scarcity in the state.
As projected, about 7,000 out of 12,000 farmers shortlisted for the scheme will benefit from the first phase in which a total of 24,000 fertilizers will be distributed. Speaking at the event held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Prince Abiodun acknowledged the growing disparity between food supply and global food production leading to the current scarcity.
His words: “It is widely known that the global population is growing exponentially while the overall food production is falling and struggling to keep pace. We will be more aggressive in tackling food inflation.
“The initiative symbolizes more than just the distribution of fertilizer. It represents our collective resolve to support the agriculture sector and ensure that farmers have the resources they need to cultivate their land effectively and efficiently.
“The provision of the right type and adequate amount of fertilizer is crucial to boost crop yields, enhance quality, and ultimately secure food supply for our state and the nation.”
The Governor stated that the distribution marked another significant milestone in the ongoing commitment to ensuring food security and empowering farmers, stressing that agriculture remains the backbone of the nation’s economy, creating and providing sustenance and reliable job opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
He identified unstable market prices and climate change as the major challenges facing farming communities in the country, adding that with the right support and incentives, farmers could drive and transform the nation’s agricultural sector.
“12,000 farmers will benefit from this program. In the first phase, at least 7,000 farmers are to benefit. This distribution spans various categories of farmers, including the Nigeria Cassava Association, Rice Farmers Association, Maize Association of Nigeria, Farmer Allotees, Agro-services Crop Farmers, the Agricultural Development Programme, the Farmer Settlement and Estate Farmers, Tree Crops Farmers, and farmers in all 20 local government areas.
“It is gratifying to note that the ongoing cooperation of states and the federal government on this transformation agenda, particularly in agriculture, will create several opportunities. It will serve as a viable business venture, and we should all come together to ensure its success,” the governor added.
He maintained that the present administration had designed and implemented programmes and interventions through the implementation of the “Building Our Future Together” agenda as encapsulated in the ISEYA mantra.
He further explained that reforms such as the allocation of agricultural lands to investors in the sector at Imasayi, Afon, Oke-Odan, Mamu, and the Odeda Farm Settlement, as well as the allocation of land to members of the State Executive Council, House of Assembly members, and High Court judges, were geared towards operationalizing our back-to-land agenda.
He disclosed that his administration had given materials to 50 cassava women farmers in collaboration with the National Agriculture Land Development Authority, empowered 3,000 farmers with farm inputs under the Ogun N-CARES project. The effort, he said, had provided capacity building for 12,000 farmers under the Value Chain Development Programme.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, on his part, said the administration had positively intervened in farming activities by giving 1,000 farmers, especially those from farm settlements, a 50 percent reduction in purchasing fertilizer, pesticides, and cassava stems.
He said the state government had also intervened through the off-take programme by identifying 30,000 farmers and sharing them into clusters of 65 percent in mechanization and a 50 percent discount in inputs and capacity building.
The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Alhaji Kudirat Adeoye Kushimo, appreciated the state government for its efforts in providing succour to the farmers, while calling on his other counterparts to be honest by using the fertilizer for the purpose it was meant for.
At this juncture of our nation’s history, no government can afford to sit on the fence in the renewed effort by the federal government to tackle the challenge of food scarcity in the country. It’s a collective responsibility of all and sundry to ward off the threat of hunger in our land. While appreciating the quick response of the Governor to the challenge of global food crisis, all hands must be on deck at all levels to accelerate agricultural output before hunger bars its fang again on the masses. Nigeria cannot afford another round of protest at this delicate time. We cannot wait for the pang of hunger to raise its ugly head again. The only way to douse the social tension and ensure sustainable peace is to give priority to food production. It is a common Yoruba saying that: “Ebi kii wo’nu k’oro miran wo” meaning “Once hunger takes lodging inside a person, it’s hard for any other issue to find a home”.
Ogbonnikan writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital
