Nigeria’s GDP: Agric’s contribution declining

This situation is evident with the drastic decline witnessed in the agricultural sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Expectedly, farmers and other agriculture stakeholders have described the development as worrisome. Alhaji Musa Umar Faki, a major farmer, said the contribution of agriculture to GDP suffered serious setback under the present administration due […]

This situation is evident with the drastic decline witnessed in the agricultural sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
Expectedly, farmers and other agriculture stakeholders have described the development as worrisome.
Alhaji Musa Umar Faki, a major farmer, said the contribution of agriculture to GDP suffered serious setback under the present administration due to its policy of neglecting major and smallholder farmers.
He said: “It is so disheartening to note that under the present administration, the big time farmers who produce what they use in feeding their family and enough for local and international markets are not assisted in anyway by the federal government. The minister for agriculture was bold enough to say that this administration’s policy does not have provision for assisting big time farmers.
“In developed countries where governments have succeeded in ensuring food security, you will discover that the governments of those countries are fending for all categories of farmers. Here in Nigeria, even the two bags of fertiliser and seeds that the current administration limit its intervention to, is not going round the registered farmers. It is incredible!
“It is more disturbing when you realised that when former President Olusegun Obasanjo took over from the military in 1999, agricultural contribution to GDP was 2.95 percent by 2000. But because he introduced good agricultural policies that catered for all categories of farmers, agric contribution to GDP kept rising from 3.88 percent in 2001 to 4.25 percent in 2002 and up to 7.40 percent in 2006. It was 7.20 percent at the time he left office in 2007.
“During late Yar’Adua’s regime, he was able to maintain 6.30 percent in 2008 and 5.90 percent in 2009. All this is because they were able to fend for all categories of farmers and they had very good agricultural policies. Since Jonathan became president, agricultural contribution to GDP has been declining. It was 4.00 percent in 2012 and 2.61 percent in 2013. Worst than what we were having in the military era due to very poor policies.”
National Financial Secretary of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Tunde Arosanyin, said the GES introduced by the present administration has not been able to address the problems of farmers in the country.
Arosanyin said: “Between 2000 and 2007, the agricultural sector contributed about 7.4 percent to our GDP annually on the average because the federal government, then under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was able to establish the presidential initiative for many economic crops such as cocoa, cotton, oil palm, rubber, ground nuts, coffee, tea, livestock for hides and skin.
“Farmers were also directly involved at every committee down the ladder. This accounted for the growth in that sector under the period. In the recent release from CBN two weeks ago, the performance of agriculture to the 2013 GDP declined to as low as 2.61 percent. Factors responsible for the decline include the mono-economy of oil, poor budgetary allocation, flexible importation policy, inadequate support to farmers and insecurity.”
But Agriculture Minister, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in an earlier interview said this administration has transformed the lives of Nigerian farmers, adding: “Things have changed dramatically for farmers. Let me give you some concrete examples of how impactful the GES has been. In Adamawa State, 93% of farmers received their subsidised seeds and fertilisers. In Sokoto State, 84% of farmers were reached.
“In Kogi State, 83% of farmers got their seeds and fertilisers. In Plateau State, 76% of farmers got their seeds and fertilisers. In Kano, 100% of farmers got their seeds and fertilisers. Benue State experienced 70% redemption. In Zamfara and FCT, 100% and 80% of farmers received their fertilisers and seeds via the e-wallet system of GES. So, you can see that the GES has dramatically improved the access of farmers to subsidised farm inputs.”