- Chief Ogbeh can do better than whine about the state of our agriculture
Agriculture, in its full ramifications, is probably the largest endeavour man ever developed. Apart from being the primary source of food and nutritional sustenance for the multitudinous members of the planet earth, it provides humans yards of quality apparels, pharmaceutical inputs, and not to mention quality leather and accoutrements.
The list is long and the impact of working the earth stretches beyond the imagination of man. This may explain why countries, especially the leading ones, have mastered agriculture at some level or the other. For instance, USA, the most technologically advanced country of the world, is a net exporter of food, mainly grains and fruits.
France, another electronic state, is among the largest food processing nations. Canada is among the world’s leading producers of wheat, wood and seafood. The mainstay of many medium level countries of the world like Brazil, Argentina, Pakistan, New Zealand, to name a few, is agriculture.
We have raised these examples to buttress the point that Nigeria, being a net importer of food, makes her a non-starter in all spheres of agricultural business. But more troubling, she still cannot seem to devise the way forward in this all-important enterprise. Not even the parlous state of the country’s economy has galvanised the government and decision makers to understand the full import of integrating an agricultural economy into her system.
We have been moved to take an especial note of this situation going by the remarks last week by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh. He had lamented the baleful condition of agricultural development in Nigeria and the inherent impediments.
Ogbeh spoke at the inauguration of a new initiative known as State Partnership for Agriculture (SPA) by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
At the event, Ogbeh who has been in office since November spoke dolefully thus: “The biggest challenge has been trying to persuade the Nigerian elite – political, academic and professional – who are totally disconnected from agriculture. They talk about it on television and newspapers but agriculture happens in practice on the soil.
“Getting them reconnected will take quite a while. Bankers are not interested. There is no support to agricultural credit, fertilizer quality and management, seed control and seed quality. These are severally lacking in the system. And we have to reengineer the consciousness of Nigerians to respond to the new reality of our situation. It will take a while.”
While we appreciate the concerns of the minister and the arduous challenges he faces, we dare say that the situation calls for a more holistic response beyond lamentations and wringing of the palms in expectation that time will change everything.
First, Nigeria does not have the luxury of time anymore. Second, being a farmer of note himself, we expect a lot more initiative from the minister. Nearly six months down the line, the least many expect now would be a broad-based roadmap that would indicate to us the path to follow in the broad spectrum of agriculture business.
We need to know urgently, the immediate, medium and long-term plans for the turnaround of Nigeria’s agriculture. Based on his hands-on experience, it would be necessary for him to point out to us, the best paths to plod in the entire gamut of agro-business.
Why is Nigeria still a net importer of food instead of the reverse? Importation of poultry products can be turned around in one year, but it would require back-breaking effort starting from the minister’s office. What plans to harness and process fruits and perishable food crops that currently go waste in parts of the country? What insight for our natural export crops like cocoa, palm oil, rubber, cotton, etc?
We disagree with the minister on the role of the elite. Agriculture, like any other business, is a very serious affair. It does not depend on the elite but on entrepreneurs and businessmen who must engage in it for gains. Some are already seriously in it and the minister must find them, engage them and support them.
Nigerians expect so much more from our agric minister.
