Bode Durojaiye, Oyo
Life Vice President of the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief Adebowale Omotoso, has advocated an agricultural revolution that will bring into play a careful combination of resources and other inputs for efficient and maximum production.
Speaking at a forum in Oyo town, Omotoso noted that the potential for agricultural production in Nigeria exists, but inability to fully tap the potential is indicative that there is a structural defect within the production system.
“Hence, a structural transformation of our agricultural economy requires urgent attention if the country is to meet her future food and fibre requirements. In this endeavour, our small-scale farmers who are still the linchpin of our agricultural development and are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future should form the central focus”.
He lamented the situation in towns and cities as people struggle for services and facilities that are inadequate to support decent living, while able-bodied young men and women continue to drift steadily from rural to urban areas in search of a dream world, leaving behind them an aging farm labour force.
Lamenting on the hindrances posed by the Land Used Act, as enshrined in the 1979 constitution to self sufficiency in food productions, the industrialist said since an important pre-requisite for accelerating development of agriculture is access to land, governments should continue to make necessary efforts to provide land to all those genuinely willing to contribute to agricultural production efforts.
“In addition, realising that effective administration of land reform programmes call for, among other factors, reliable records of ownership and tenancy, the Federal Government should embark on a comprehensive land record survey. Such survey should be conducted periodically to ensure the maintenance of up to date information on the situation”.
Omotoso also called on local governments to set up model farms in various communities to teach modern farming methods or techniques to farmers in order to improve their knowledge about their farm enterprises. As much as possible, farmers themselves should be involved in the running of such farms.
The former Chairman, Odu’a Chambers of Commerce, equally enjoined local governments to rehabilitate existing farm settlements and establish new ones where necessary in their areas with a view to mobilising school drop-outs for effective food production at local level.
“Local governments should also be primarily involved in all necessary means of productions, such as extension services, rural feeder roads, small-scale irrigation (fadama) schemes, soil conservation measures, small-scale rural water supply schemes,village animal clinics, crop protection, crop drying, storage and preservation”.
Omotoso, therefore, advised local governments to leave those capital intensive projects such as fertilizer procurement and distribution, tractor hiring and road construction to either federal or state governments.
