THE NATION, 23 APRIL, 2012

A220

Monday, April 23, 2012

Cover

Can onathan's agric d

By Bamldelo ObaIeml

I

!welheadm~;~in;

hB\.<e made dJOrta in futility til rca! the ~ growins population of the lar&l::IIl b lack nation in the wuI1d. Fint, it was Operation Feed the Nation, om, by fanner President Oluegun Obaaanjo,

durin& tn.

ter:.ure . . • Miliwy head 01 state between 1916 and 1979. 'tbal programme sttuggJed to restore NigI:ria back to the glory of pre-mdependcnce. when CM:r 90 per cent 01 Ill; Orou Domestic Pn.:h.El. QOP, ........ deriYed from agric:ultura1 products like Jl1IUIldnut from the n!llthe:m rqjon, co-coa, rn:.n the west and Thnbcr.

Endowed with over 84 million hectares of arable land and perfect weather to grow crops all year round, Nigeria remains a net food importing nation, spending about Nl.3 trillion on importation of basic food items. Now with Agriculture Transformation Agenda, ATA, President Goodluck Jonathan says he would not only put food on the tables of Nigerians, buf also make agriculture a business that adds greater value to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). How far can he go?

from the middle belt rqion Green RevoIutton, an Idea pro~ by former ~t Sbdlu Shaprl's administration, fmmedia.tdy after Obasaop'. OFN could not abo take NIgeria to the promise land. And nov.', the Agriculture Transformatkm "genda, ATA. by GoodIuck Jonathan, Nigeria'. fourth dcr:ted p~L The plan. a... eKpJamed by Dr. AkinWUllIlli Mesma, MinIster of Agicu.llur'e and flatural Rc8ouroes. is to cet the nation to al1.ai.n food aecwuy and create chain value in the qricu1L1rc acctor" 0( the

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In difbe:nt fum. Jcnathan and VICe President, Namadi Sambo, ha~ unequk'0C811y voiced their commitment to tb~ transConnation ~ of the aariculture sector.

Only this month in Wubington, mcctin& with the US-Export aLd Import Bank, US- EXlM, rei.b!:I'a~ the aim of the muntry in pursuiltg the new agenda to im~ the value chain and uansi.t fnIm. pnw--din& nnt' material for expon. w value addition.

He Mid raw IIl8.1erials from the agricuItuJ"e aedOl would, henceforth, be ~ into 8e1I1J-1lnaJ and finished p;dB to further boost the natm's earair:& ~'e' and enban<e_L Sambo, who ~ at an investment farum at ~ inSlll1\Ce of the U.S.A. Bambo, at a

NiacriM Embru!9Y. assured

inves-

tors in the..ectot <t'high n:tums on their investments in the country.

5a}in& that the OJ: portunine$ that abound ~ 1arw:Jy unUlpped, addin& that. ~ new incentives and poHdes of Ie administrlll.ion, they were SUn! fl-naking the best of Ute snuation Areas where b'! said opporwrubes abound m agro business

include nee. CRlna...a, -zhum, Iivestoclt. fi~lI:rie~ maize, lJUya henna, palm oil. oocoa and coUOn as he Il3ked thtm to take advantage ol the inV'Ullr &iendly policies and opportwLbes. "Both Federal and State Oo..-anments bave taken rurthef" stept;. to enlJe:Jch the enabhnt mviro!lDleJlt for foreign direct. In..-tment al the Federal GoY'c:mmcnt bu committed a lot

of ~ towarda the provision of infi-astructura1 radlides that will addreM the main facton militating s,grunst. mvestmc:nt FfJCf"D.tion,· he

......... "'= Adesm.a. the

bratn bdund /tTA., undent:olU the need for the programme to 1J\.ICCeCd, as he caJls ror a.ctive participation of all st.a.keholda-s in the aector. Howeva-, al the 39th meeting of the Nabonal Council on Agnculture, NCA (a body comprising the 36 states wmmissionen of agricu1t"Un! and other stakeholders! hdd In Enugu In Man:h, it expressed II_I readin~ to work with the Federal Oow:m.ment toadUeve; its p.l of tnlOsfonrung the agric sector For inst.anc:e, the Commissionen of Agncul~ to Ekiti, Ka.no and Tarabe Stutes asaw-ed the Minister thal their states were already unplmlmting the t:raIHfonnation

agenda in aa:ordanoe with crops of comparative advantage serosa

the various chains.

SuIlivaD Chime, Govc:mor 01 Enugu State and Chid' host of the NCA meeting. abo d.i3closcd that the stBle was p;x!lCd to emJUn! that it attains food auflk:iency by the )"eIIT lO IS and all!IO expon 80 per O!Dl orill! total output by 2020 Beyond the suppon pledged by stakdiolden: in the Ioca.I scene, the Jonathan.. rood aec::urity and value chain crusade has started

gathering support !Tom Intemational organiA8Jions, especially Iiom !he dc-veIopmcnt banks. The African Oevdopmcnl Bank, AIDB is said to have a~ $63_24 million funding package for the impicmc:nlation of a five-yeru- agric: n!aearcll project. The ~, dubbed, 'Support to Agrir::ul.turaI Regearcll

ror DeYelopment or Stra-

tqjc erop. in Itfrica', was meant to enhance lhe production of staple food itens like cassava, rice, maize and wheaL Dr. KingaJcy Mogha.Ju, Deputy Governor, Central Bank oCN'JFn!l.

CBN, was optimistic that oornmct"dal banks oper.lting in lhe coun· try would lend full support to the agnc tnlOlifOTlDSbon agc:nda. His optimism wruI prcdicat.ed on t.he observation that baJUar;' peroeptJon

Business A Publication of GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRiSTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, OFR • PUBUSHER SEM!U SALAMI BAMIOELE OBAFEMI ADEJUWON OSUNNUYI _ FESTUS OKOROMADU

EDITOR ASSOCIATE

EDITOR

TAYO ADELEKE

STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER SENIOR REPORTER

OLATOYE RAPHAEL SEYIOKUMOOI

SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST

HEAD, PRODUCTION

I~ I ~~ronllne.Det

I

Mon~AprU23,2012

Business Courage

A321

Cover

•

rlv rescue Nigeria? about IIfIEUItun! aa bJ&h riak ftD If8duaDy driftin& away Or. MQ8hahJ pointed out. that the rH!t dfect of NiFJiar- banJa' mindact

l\lre fa;

about acrieulture la the det..mc iIna&e of net zmportet of b:Id' that the eowury has auned. '"We are not only in it for finance; we are In It to pia:y an trdviaory tvk. b" promotion and e::onomk devclapmcnt- We ..anl tu ensure eorayone alona the acne:: ~Ilue cham ahauId make money In the ~ it WiU the issue 01 KCII!S!I to ~t money but it Is difrenenl now. It .. now an tssu.e of de-naklDc ~ to qriculture,· fl.Togbalu Mid. Ue ~ that the CBN bas InlrOduocd the Ui.!,eria Incentivebaaed Jbsk sharing Syatem for Agric:uItUnl Lendb.. HIRSAL. to ~ the I~ (0( poor fundin&.

NIRSAL 18 a new, dynamic hoIiahe IlfJP"*:h ltwIl tackles tosether

both the agicuburaI value chaina and the acricuIt..nl linanang value

ct.m

~hkb ::tn! inladepen -

dmL The CBN, w u:kr NlRSAL, will make a¥ailabk .J3 billion to the

b&nldn& aector u: de-riak agncultUnl nwn,: by banb and inllW'aDClC c:ompo tnlCS 1be uutiatJYe. IICOCIf'dwI to Dr. Moghalu. ta catllDllttd to build cun.fIdeooe and encourage bann 10 lend into the apicu1tunal vall..e chama, by 0(. ferinl them SU'OIlI incm.~ and leduUaII .-.tanc ~ He apWned thai NlRSAL has ftve piJIa.n. which • re auncd at deriaIdn& qricultunJ Iendin& and ~ the coR oflelxima to banks Thcae, 8CCIOI'din& to him, iDdude nsk shann& faahll valued S300 milLion. m.atnlrCt fK:ility- S30 milhon, tecbnkal USlstance fadI· ity - S60 million. Iriimc bank nllIna mcchanuIm - US$IO million, and bank ancmthes mec:haniam US$IOO mi1Iku The CBN ~ abo ~ ltwIt • .ate punmerlts who are tuJor .;ake",*,",- m the uansl'ormlluon aae.'. are aheady ahowi:n& Inten:st .n NIRSAL. .. dgbt oui of 36, include Zamftn, EIdti, Ddta, As eau and Marn.. .... Lap. Kann, Sokoto, HiF, N.......... and 8enue ha~ been the lint to Ihow m'"..eretIL

dep\.I,.,

Jullt like ~t

~

formulalCd in the counuy, ATA hold, plausliblr. ~ta. If 10"tn'lmeDt abcJoftd the will to make It work. The potily implemmtaboD cIotument the Agric:uIture 1'ransf"c:amati A~ reveN' Uw the~ althe~.,...

IIgricuJtUnlliCC:tPr, whic:h the prosnunme projecl.f to brin& about, will enable N'JFiar farmers penerale ewer N300 bIWun IS2biDionJ in additional bxomea Poticy makers diacIoeed ltwIt CI'-"d N60 billion or S38OmiIbon III to be ir1Jected into the cc:orxJDZY rmm the .ubebtution

,r

0(20 ptf"cent ofttW' c:anpo.:ition

of

brad, With cuann. ftour, thcteby

m:!ucmc the rorei]n wheat HowCXJQt=L Accanlh,(! to the doeu ·

--

ment, "the mmisuy would hayt

The E-wallet. la PIlI to be baaed

on the d.atabue that the Federal

enabled NI,ma to be food atCW'e, by ~ the produclu:l oIkey

Mmilltry

b:Id Maples by 20 million tonnca - Rice: two million metric: tunnea; c.-v.: 17 minion metric: tannes; and S«&bum: one m..iIlim metric: tormca,. wtth the procramme, at

the end 0( the day The tran.ronnatbl ~ which Jdc:ked oB" AUCUst. lui. year. alter" the appotIltmcnt of Or Adetina, is a;pectcd to O"eate 0YI:r 3.5 million joba from the rice. c::u:sav..

1OIJhwn. OCICOII and cotton value cbah1s. The Miniau::s" aut many more ~ will come from otbe" qJ. uc chains under unpianentation.

M DOted by the MInister, qrt. culhln: baa dc:moIlstrate:I an abiI· Ity to aotve the c:halIcn&'e of unem· pIoyment in the CDUDUY, . . can be atCD by the [act that the breadt.. kef. rqion 01 the North Ccnlnll has the Iowe8l unemployment rate in the counay he sakI., an the bKkdn;Jp that the nation .. unemployment rate is apiraI1inc. drIven by the wayt or four miWon youn& people entenna the wortdOrcc C\I. ery yt:J!JT wtth only • .nan fraction abk to lind formal cmploymenL To ach.ieIIe the aaid vision, Ad· cama explained that qriculture ahouId be treated . . busineu and not ~ dupmeut pnJJCCt.. just as isolated projects that do not dear· Iy IJU'W the aector m a dear and meuurabIe way Wll1 be dane away With to eM ..,., to acncuJtwaJ pro;ecu that agreIIIIivd;y ~te jobJ, wealth and ensure rood lie='Y He added that the pi'tm . ~t would no II:Jnc!:r crowd out the private aector, but rather, fo. (:UK an value chaina where Ni· pna baa comparatiw: sdvanlage and deYdoping alJ"alefPc partneratUpa kw market· )ed qricultunll tnlnalOrmaban. '"We. win on oonabontln& WIth atate and )0. cal peuments; intcr-miniatenal coBabcntion, pnvate aedor and Wmer ~ and driI sodety . . well .. rarretiD& the youth and wumcn b' equitabie crowth," be

.....

.than IIdmuUstntticm.

He. listed _ of tranalormabOD reforms in fertiH2Ier aector to include. rnarltetm& institution,; ft· nanang IlCricultural value chams and apic:ultunaI inveatment

&omewori<.

The Agric:u1t~ minister aaid the grmemment, distributed fertilbier" support propamme baa JlYen _y b priYatr. sedOr distnbuted fertilia:r support .,-tem, utWana Input Vouchera. While. cxplainmg that on1y 11 pel' cent of farmers &d subsidized rcrtiluua distributed by the ~t, he Mid tbe pernment, di'tribudon I)'Slem ~~tand~~sn~

and subsidized COfTUpuon.

Ade.sina explained that . . part of the policy change alre.ady im·

ple.menkd, the

Spe.akiDa OIl the nJue chain, the MinlIler said the approIICb is bdnt: adopted uncia" the AT" to repaaition Nlf:r!riaD IIgricuJture to ita pride. or place . . . net eJtpOr1Cr 0( food and a bwiDcas enLerpnae that would enhance the IMn& atandard of Nige.nan rarmen and the nation at IarJI:.. -ro cnaure food iIt'CWlty and crtIIIl1e ~, ~

oommodl.ty value ehaina: ~, _ . chum, OCICOII. ~, soybean, oil

palm, cotton, c:umva. IiYestock, ftahe.ries and horticulture, haYe formulated plan. to KhICYt huce. iDc:Iuaes in pnJducbon, bqinning from 2012."

The miniM« reveU:d that his Miruauy is ~ cbancinI the _y it works u ~ of the tnm...

IOnnabonal poIk:aes which the miniatry is drivul& to ~ the ~ of the. Jon-

.-sa

..

rOC" rcrtiliaer

nua.

roc:u,

or AgricuItun: hal been

·So far, ...-e hayt inputted 01I'tf" three million out or the ftyt mUbon rannen and W, e-wallet will enable the Carmen to ace and know that he can redeem the pan of the OES ..hich Is 50 pel' cent. 25 pel' cent &lxn the Federal Government and 25 per cent from the ltale panmenta while the Carmer would pay half 01 the amount and seed. Thal l. how thu ron out will hdp our Carmen", the M.uuster added.

Earber", Sarnbo ~ told the WnhinltOn conference that the ~t .... addreuin, iuues of sccunty chaUenp t.hrou&h ~ ca~ty of the IeCUrity aw:ndes and alto lncreamnl awareneu 01 the ordinary- Nifplan, IIAyUlI that • lot h . . been achieY'td in dnvma the threat out of the countt}' capcdalIy wnh the belp or re.p;mal and international c:ommurutie.s. The Vace President laid the. admmi. tr.tion of PresIdent Jonathan has reIIOIvoed to build m£rastructure like. railways where 01I'tf" 400· )0 lomctre railway hue was on the V'tf'F ol oomplebon.

Ade.ina also ...uJ1:d that &.be ~t wu axnmitt«l to mcclumilll1l q:nr;uIture. and inausin& production .. it haa prV'IIded N2.7 billion while tn· tem&tiooa1 bodies and counuiea: wen. supportin& qncuItunll pr-oanunmes in Nigena..

Thou&h laudable. and well ar· ticulated, pundits baY't ~ fear 0YI:r pemmenl', ability to implement the. pobey document to the letter. TIna Haamn, a public: commentator noted that the likes of the ~t Minla;ter 01 Apic:uI hUe, ..,th brilliant ideo and ceo' woe det.ermination to impkment JOOd prosnunmea, had neYer been in abort ,upply iD the put.

--rhey had made. amilar determined prvnouncements with aU forms 01 pasakm about bow they wouJd move the oounuy or part or 11.1 ODmponenta forward but ended up, most tuDeS, in the belly or the. "e.lephanr- fcorruptionl they .-orc to 6&ht".

The Mmi,ter of Agncult~, and. indeed, thcJonathan adman· illU'aDon, might MY't km. ai&,bt or, or pretend that forces ltwIt had kept the. country t.ckward m the areas they are UJ'1IlI to dfet:t positive chanp:I wen. and are ,till Ya)'rnuchin lheaystcm It is not .a hard to bdIcve. that such ~ are often more ferociowI and detennin«l to make nOOKnlle of RK:h p .... eaaI.e rDOYe, even hcfof"t. it take8 olf or in thcnud ...... ·Oocs NIctria haY't. any hope ltwIt Adeana will do what he haa manhaIJed out to do and th_ Core tnalt from the. monotonou. .-.t7 be quencd •

kJnFr

I.

aovcmment is out

of feniliZler" di,tribution .. it

no

involved in procurement and diaclribubon of fertilUen The pnvatr. aec:tor, be saki, will now K11 their inputs cbnctJy to rannen while IQ\"tITlIDt.I1l proYideli 50 pel' cent support for IIt.edI & fertiJ~.

JUlt last week. the Federal Oowernment, m demonatnUian of Its commitment to the q:ric ~a, formally ftaged off the Growth Enhanc:anent Support.

OES, In the muthern statca With a sUvn& assurance to farmers that the yean oudd&emcn hayt been ahort-cbansin& them in the. di,tributiOD of inputs were OYer Uader the 0&8 prosramme, fertilder and -=e.d inputa wvuId be made ava.ilabie to ama1I holder t:annera directly ac:roaa the. oounay at half the pnoe of the inputa with

both the Fedenl1 <kwe.mmcnt and payina the.50 per cent cost of the iDputa on equal rabo bulL Mmiate.r of Stale rar Agric:uI. lUre. Bukar TijarU, explained that the initiatm: .... one 01 the kq' componenta of the tnlJl.IfOrmauon agenda in the q:ricultUnl aector designed to p-oYide. opcrationaI and fundtn& retid, to sm.lJ 6vm. en and lmpruve qricuItunll pr0ductivity in the oounuy.

The. Mlniate:r, who spoke: daboratdy oa the Yariou, financial windows the Federal GoYemment, In conjunction with the CBN and the Depocit Money Banb, have been operunc to ImprVl't. fan:nen aotesI to bank loan, in the few y.:ara, aaid the disbunJe.. ment of another tranche of N30 billion c:re.dit bad ltartcd to supjXIrl fanncn in furthrnnce. of the broad policy objectJvca of the Tranalonnabon Acenda in the aector. ~e are pthe.red here. today to klck-.mrt the OES in main1y two mput areu. Ooe I. rertili __ , the ..:concI one iI ae.ed.

Theae ~ are mainly the IDItJor oereaI. wbk:h we have in Ni&eriarice, mIlI3It and of c:oune, we abo haY't soya bat.n and otha" crops other than tbeae.. I know 01 c:oune for cotton we have. a Iimilar appli. catIOn which i. betn& supported 5tatefl

.-.t

...

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" This is the startml pomt and thai is wby what has worked clK+ where wiD a1.a work here. and CcUulant is out, totFther

rollin,

with us, lCJFlher with the seed companiea. krtill~ companies and slate. aovemmenta .a that the E-..uet can be rolled out-