By Emmanuella Oghenetega
ActionAid Nigeria, a non-governmental civil society organisation, and an affiliate member of the ActionAid International Federation with presence in 45 countries, has decried the poor attention to the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
This was stated during a workshop organized for journalists on inclusive and sustainable food systems reporting.
The event, which took place in Abuja, was organised by ActionAid Nigeria, in partnership with Giz, with a sole aim to equip journalists with knowledge and skills to effectively report on agriculture, and food systems.
Speaking, the Deputy Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Suwaiba Mohammad Dankabo, stated that Nigeria was at a cross road with major challenges in the food systems.
“Our food system is undergoing stress, from climate change, economic shocks, conflicts, and rising inequality, and so this workshop comes at a critical moment.
She implored participants to not just imagine, but work together for a food system that works for everyone.
Also speaking, ActionAid Nigeria’s Food & Agriculture Program Advisor, Blessing Akhile, stated that a clear reflection of the insufficient prioritization of the agricultural sector, is that despite years of advocacy for increased funding to the agriculture sector, the Federal Government’s commitment remains far below the 10% target set by the Malabo Declaration.
“In fact, the share of the total federal budget allocated to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (including the National Agricultural Development Fund) has sharply declined from 2.84% in 2024 to a mere 1.28% in the 2025 proposed budget.
“Even when you add the allocation to the Federal Ministry of Livestock, the total agriculture sector budget only reaches N647.88 billion, which accounts for just 1.3% of the total federal government budget.
“While implementing the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) requires a multi-stakeholder approach, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security – FMAFS (HQTRS) plays a leading role as the leading government institution responsible for implementation of policies and programmes in the agriculture space. However, the poor budget allocation to the FMAFS (HQTRS) in the 2025 proposed budget is poised to weaken the performance of the ministry in the 2025 fiscal year as its capital budget allocation declined by 45.78% from N886.65 billion in 20204 to N405.93 billion in the 2025 budget proposal.”
She further stated, that whereas every programme and project of the FMAFS should feed into the implementation of the NATIP, evidence from the projects and programme provided for in the 2025 budget proposal of the ministry shows only 34% alignment in this direction. Precisely, there is only a 34% alliance between the capital budget of the federal ministry of agriculture and food security (HQTRS) with the NATIP objectives translating into N102.73 billion of the N298.61 billion provided for capital budget for the FMAFS (HQTRS).
Earlier, Precious Jacdonmi of Giz in her welcome remarks commended ActionAid Nigeria for the wonderful work it has been doing in the country.
During the course of the worshop, other topics discussed, included; the role of Women and Barriers, Gender-Sensitive Reporting; Women’s Contribution to Food and Nutrition Security, the Importance of Social Media in telling Sustainable Agricultural Stories; Building Inclusive and Sustainable Food Systems
