Senator (Dr.) Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West Senatorial District) has called on Nigerian farmers to take full advantage of the present border closure to enhance the production of staple food in order to fill the vacuum of demands for the growing population of Nigerians created by the closure. Senator Adamu made the call in his welcome speech on the occasion of the 12th Annual Agriculture Show held in Auta-Balefi, Karu LGA of Nasarawa State from 14th – 19th October, 2019. In his words, “They (farmers) continue to put up a gallant struggle against the encroachment of food imports that threaten to disempower and displace them and weaken the pillars of our independence”.
During the course of his speech, Senator Adamu shed light on the reason behind the introduction of the annual event by the ex-President Obasanjo administration in 2007. According to Adamu, the first objective is to encourage healthy competition among Nigerian farmers, while the second objective is to bring together farmers, vendors and manufacturers of modern agricultural equipment annually under one formidable and acceptable forum to serve as a meeting point which will expose farmers to new and modern developments in the agricultural sector. Adamu pointed out the fact that it is important for farmers and policy makers to work hand-in-hand in order to drive whatever policies the federal government commits to agricultural development.
Somewhere in his remarks, the Distinguished Senator lamented on the challenges of insecurity which he said led to the desertion of farms in the North-Central and North-Western geo-political zones. He however applauded the farmers for having the courage to carry on despite the dilemma they are faced with and commended President Buhari’s administration for its unwavering commitment towards ensuring that the farms are safe again.
The Senator highlighted the following five initiatives as being the most important according to his view:
a) The Green Alternative;
b) The Anchor Borrowers programme co-ordinated by the Central Bank of Nigeria;
c) The National Livestock Transformation Plan;
d) The Palm Tree Plantation plan which aims to enhance palm oil production in the country; and,
e) The Cotton production plan in an effort to revive the textile industry.
Hence Senator Adamu assured the Honourable minister for agriculture and rural development Alhaji Sabo Nanono that these policy initiatives enjoy the support and commitment of all farmers. According to him, “Policies in and of themselves are plans and intentions. What gives them life is the commitment to their full and sustained implementation by the initiators and the stake holders. These policy initiatives must be made to drive the nation towards zero hunger and food security”.
On the issue of the Anchor Borrowers programme, Senator Adamu reiterated the fact that the National Agricultural Foundation accepts as laudable the principle behind the scheme, but honestly does not believe that the Central Bank of Nigeria is properly placed to administer it. Part of the Senator’s reason for such view is that the scheme cannot be said to be completely successful because it is not being operated by the appropriate government agency. According to him, “I believe, very strongly, that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which has the primary mandate for the implementation of all national agricultural policies, should take over the anchor borrowers scheme for it to properly cascade to the intended beneficiaries”.
Adamu urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the border closure, noting that food security cannot be attained in one day, so let no one think that food importation would end tomorrow. Rather, he said, it should be seen as a process driven by all the stakeholders. Hence, patience and commitment is needed to ride on the initiatives to what the senator termed as the Eldorado in our agricultural development.
Turning to government, Senator Adamu task her to protect local farmers by banning over a given period of time the importation of food items that the farmers are capable of sufficiently producing locally. He said, “the protection of our farmers against foreign invaders must rank high in our list of priorities because it would amount to self-sabotage if we cannot curb our appetite for imported food items”.
Senator Adamu called on government to revive the nation’s agricultural research institutes, which have been lying fallow for a very long time. According to the senator whom himself is a seasoned farmer, “Agriculture, now more than ever before, relies on and benefits from modern research into crop production. The recent appointment of a seasoned agriculturist as director-general of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria raises my hope that the sun would shine once more on our agricultural research institutes. In the past they played a vital role in applied research. They can still do so if they are revived and empowered to play that statutory role again”. He also called on government to address the issue of subsidy. He decried the IMF and World Bank’s stiff opposition to agricultural subsidy in our country when these same organizations do not frown at America and European countries for subsidizing their farmers.
Senator Adamu reiterated that the The National Agricultural Foundation and Nigerian farmers under the auspices of All Farmers Associations of Nigeria (AFAN) fully and wholeheartedly support the government for this closure of the borders and called on our farmers to stand up to the challenge. He said all the hues and cries about the border closure are fake and being promoted by big time smugglers and economic saboteurs who are deliberately refusing to see the benefits to the Nigerian farmer and to our national economy.
On behalf of the Foundation, Adamu acknowledged the tremendous support of the Nasarawa State Government in whose territory the agriculture show is hosted. He said, “aside from given us title to the land, they have continued to participate in and provide financial support for this event. I commend their partnership”.
“We cannot fail to mention other states of the federation whose support have been crucial to the sustenance of this annual agriculture show. They include – Kano, Katsina, Niger, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Rivers, Lagos, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti States. From organising special state days to sponsoring their farmers to this show, they have identified with and kept this endeavour flying”. Adamu pledged the Committee’s commitment to do more in order to attract international participation in the Nigeria agriculture show in the not too distant future.
In conclusion, the distinguished senator reiterated that as a farmer and chairman of the senate committee on agriculture, he promised that his committee would do everything within its power to ensure that the national assembly stands shoulder to shoulder with president Buhari and discharge its function in sustainable agricultural development. Stating that, “we have all put our shoulders to the plough. There is no looking back. I ask all of our guests to do the same, no matter how weak or strong your shoulder might be”.