12 T~lOMorch2012
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Reducing poverty through agric sector strategies
Frank AIgboqur (IflII..a.tIlf
Prof
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n 2000, Rwanda had around 60 perc enl of 115 population Uv-
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Ing below the " OVerty Unc. Today, with about one million more
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people oul of povc-"y, the poverl y rale has reduced
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Indon esia, and a h oSI of olher countries wh e r-e ag ri c ultural sec tor-driven
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10 les§ than 45 percenl on Ihe ba c k of agricultural scclnr-d.l"lven accelerate d economic growdl.
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growth crea ted jobs, raised in comes, and reduced poverty Ic\'els_ lIoweve r, die reality In igerla paints a different I,ieture_ Latcst fi gures from the alionaJ Bureau ofSlaHs llel s how thai des plle IllI ll ressfve gross domesIi l)Coduc l (GDI') growlh rates in the lasl decade, th e pcrce lHage of Igerlall s li ving in pove rty h as In creased from 4.2 percent in
1992 t061 p ercent in 20 10.
In s imple t e rm s, thl means that majority of NI gerinns have not benefited from the oil -sector driven growl h, des pit e eleva ted crude 01.1 prices over the lasl decade. While we agree (hatl)Oor leod crsh II" corruption and In isma ll age rn e nl of pub li c resources provide th e most cogent explanatio ns for tJlis ironic out come, we also believe thai pari of the problem, III a Slrtl c ttlral se n se, Is attribu tab le to the low ca pacity of th e 011 Indu t:ry to create jobs and adva nce th e fr ontiers III tJle productive real sedon, p a rti c ularl y agriculture and ,uanufacluring. 1hus, it Is regre ll a bl e Ihat the agricu ltural sector, whic h cOlltr lbutes 42 l,e rCen! to the G OI) and possesses th e high es t potentia_I for e m l)Joyment generation, Is being neglected .
1he facl thai agriculture has been a key contribu tor to poverty red uction in Rwanda 1'1 not all accident, con si de rin g the fact thai ..he country Is one of Ih e few countries on th e Afri c an c ontinent th a i meel th e Cornl)rehenslve Africa I\grlcultu_re Development I)rogramm e (CAADP) recommended largel of 10 percent agrlcuhurec.x'Pen · dlture In the national bud gel_ Abo, the clearly d em onstrated com mitment of Rwanda 's politi ca l lead c r~hl l) to a broad -based consullat:lve a nd Inclusive approach 10 Its economic development ageuda , cn s hrln e d In tra nspare n cy and accounlablJlty to th e cl tJulls, Is in no doubl. Good e nough , Niger ia Is rethinking a nd redefin Ing agricu lture. For NI geria now, agri c ulture Is not farmIn g; It Is business. AgriculturnJ acti vities now,
according to th e Federal Government 's agricu ltu re lrans formatlon plan , cover the e ntire va lu e cl'aln. 1-he plan on ground Is a very robust one. We have never h ad It so good. 11,i5 Is th e case because of th e currenlleadership In pla ce at th e ministry of agricul ture. Uut we are looking forward to a slncereexec ution ofCheslOull, lan . Wc th erefore urge th e Fe d e r a l Go ve rnm e nt of Nige ri a (FG ) 10 la ke a cue frolllche Rwanda_11 ex· IJc rlellce by demOll s tral· Ilig th e require d aI1lOUI1( of I)olltlcal will a nd co m mitm e nt to pursuin g vigorou s ly It s c urre nt a g ri c ultural tra ns formation programm e . We b e li eve doing so will c reille th e Jobs a nd income leve ls required 10 push more Ige rlous out of poverty, thereby e n su rin g Ihat growlh Is pro -poor.
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