Food security: Beyond paperwork and rhetoric

The Minster of Agriculture, Alhaji Abba Ruma is one of the luckiest members of President Yar’adua’s cabinet. He is one of the blue-eyed boys of the administrator and that explains why his request for funds is granted automatic approval. It is not surprising why he is the envy of other Ministers who are not just […]

The Minster of Agriculture, Alhaji Abba Ruma is one of the luckiest members of President Yar’adua’s cabinet. He is one of the blue-eyed boys of the administrator and that explains why his request for funds is granted automatic approval. It is not surprising why he is the envy of other Ministers who are not just as lucky. Surely, Alhaji Ruma is formidably connected and articulate. But achieving food security goes beyond these factors and rhetoric.

Nigerians are keenly watching the progress of the efforts to boost food production by promoting policies that would protect not only the big time farmers who have instant access to big loans and government grants but also the peasant farmers who lack the connection to secure bank loans. According to records, Nigeria’s rice needs is put at 5 million metric tones annually but the country’s production capacity is mere 3.4 million tones, which itself appears exaggerated.

In fact, the so-called River Basins only exist on paper because they have largely failed to promote irrigation farming. Food imports have continued to guzzle public funds. For example, the Yar’adua administration was reported to have spent 3 billion dollars (N600 billion) to import rice, wheat, sugar and fish into the country. Apart from impoverishing local farmers and enriching greedy and corrupt public officials, import policy has always produced adverse consequences.

In response to the urgency of reducing dependence on food importation, the administration announced plans to build 17 rice processing mills in the country at N23.8 billion. In fact, N10 billion of this amount is the so-called Rice Intervention Fund. But are the ordinary farmers getting the benefits of these policies? These poor farmers are tired of filling one form after another in the name of official assistance.

Bureaucracy and greed have always bogged agricultural policies in Nigeria. While millions of Nigerians are talking about the 6000mw December deadline for boosting electricity generation in the country, nobody is probably asking how Ministers are managing funds meant for public good. Abba Ruma and his men would excuse themselves on the fact that it takes years of planning before results are achieved. Indeed, it is good to plan but results are better.

With the billions committed to agriculture, Nigerians expected better results than what currently obtains in reality. The feel good posture of Ruma on television gives you the instant impression of a man full of confidence about the security of his office. But our leaders should stop fooling us about the so-called food security when millions of Nigerians continue to go hungry due to official greed and corruption that hold back the country’s efforts towards self-sufficiency. Now, how’s that for food for thought?

Jibia, a political critic, wrote in from Block 31, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna