By joshua 
The Kogi State House of Assembly Committee On Agriculture has promised a robust partnership
that will ensure that necessary measures are put in place to ensure food
availability by the year 2025.
The Chairman of the House Committee On Agriculture, Hon. Lawi A.T. Ahmed gave the assurances when he parleyed with the team from Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development, PIBCID, an implementation partner for ActionAid Nigeria at the Assembly Complex.
The parley with the Lawmakers aimed at seeking ways according to the Executive Director of PIBCID, for the lawmakers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to call on the State Government to ensure implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), conceived in 2003 by the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Governments.
According to Halima Oiza Sadiq, Executive Director PIBCID, the parley with the lawmakers aims principally at averting food scarcity in the state, said an appraisal of the budgetary Provision in the 2021 budget, only showed a 4% allocation by the State Government, a far cry from the 10% advocated for by the Malabo agreement if the State and country must make meaningful impact in food sufficiency.
The PIBCID Executive Director called for a stronger commitment for the implementation of the Malabo agreement by the State and African governments in the allocation of a minimum of 10% annual budget to Agriculture
if the country is to make any meaningful impact in the sector
The Executive Director lamented that the Malabo agreement which was to ensure food production in the African continent with a growing population of 1.3 billion people in the continent with over 200 million living in Nigeria, needs an improvement in funding of the agriculture sector towards attaining food availability.
The Executive Director stated that with the current population growth rate in Nigeria, the country’s population is expected to double in 25 years, lamented that the agricultural production growth rate which stands at less than 2.5% annually, remains insignificant and negligible to feed the growing population.
The PIBCID Executive Director expressed worry that the country’s performances made in terms of meeting the Malabo agreement in the continental target towards providing 10% annual budget to agriculture sector, at the last count stands at 5.8% budgetary allocation to the Agriculture sector.
While pointing out that it is becoming challenging for Kogi State to attain food sufficiency, she said the time to key into the Malabo agreement by the State with efforts of the Lawmakers should be the watchword.
The PIBCID Executive Director maintained that through adequate budgetary funding for the Agricultural Sector, Kogi State would be able to feed the State population and also serve as the food basket of the nation.
In a remarks, Hajia Sefiya Y. Yahaya, National Auditor/State Coordinator, Kogi State Chapter, Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation In Nigeria
called for a recommitment to the values of CAADP, enhancing Investment in financing agriculture, commitment to ending hunger in Africa by 2025 and halving poverty by 2025 through inclusive Agricultural growth and transformation with women Farmers as target.
The SWOFON State Coordinator lamented women Farmers inability to access budgetary allocation made for women farmers, called for a strong commitment to enhancing Investment Finance in Agriculture, if the target of ending hunger in Africa by 2025 is to be achieved.
Reacting, the Chairman, House Committee On Agriculture, Hon. Lawi noted that attaining food sufficiency is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders, described the Malabo target in the Agricultural Sector as achievable if all hands are on deck.
He lamented that it is unfortunate that the little efforts by Government to Finance Agriculture ends up in the hands of people who are not farmers, however expressed interest to work with PIBCID in putting the Sector on the drivers seat in the Nation’s socio Economic development.
He assured that the Committee would ensure that the state’s quest for sustainable development and as a food basket is realised, commended the Initiatives to ensuring food sufficiency as timely inview of rising cost of living occasion by soaring prices of foodstuffs on a daily basis.