Leadership (Abuja)
Umar Said
18 June 2008
Bauchi — President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has stated that Nigeria is among the worst hit by the shortage of food occasioned by land degradation and climate change.
The president made the remarks yesterday while declaring this year's National Desertification Summit in commemoration of the World Desertification Day held at the Multi-purpose Hall, Bauchi.
He said the summit is quite appropriate at this moment given the current global food crisis, saying the administration will not fold its arms in the face of the rise in food prices being experienced in the country.
"We have ensured increase in budgetary provisions in the 2008 fiscal year with the aim of improving not only the agricultural production but also other sectors of the seven-point agenda in the country. Let me say that climate change is the major contributing factor to desertification, therefore tree planting became the only solution and contributing factor to desertification not only in the country but the world over," he said.
He called on every Nigerian to at least plant a tree to cool the earth, considering that the Federal Government has put measures, especially through the establishment of different agencies, to tackle specific environment problems.
Yar'Adua, who was represented by the Minister of Environment, Housing and Urban development, Arc. Halima Tayo Alao, applauded the members of the National Assembly for encouraging the establishment of various agencies in the country that could tackle issues relating to land degradation in the country. He then commended the Bauchi State government for hosting this year's submit.
He, however, challenged primary and secondary level of government and private sectors, including international development partners, to support his administration to achieve the sustainable environment and the seven- point agenda of the present administration as the only way to effectively deliver the much-awaited dividends of democracy.
Earlier speaking, the Bauchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, said the summit is to enable the people living especially in the Sahara area to benefit from the government's programmes and to feel the impact of the government at any level.
He called on the Federal Government to provide a lasting solution towards tree felling in the country. He commended the government for providing all the necessary assistance towards the sustenance of the programme in the country.
Yuguda said the state government has taken several measures towards tree degradation, especially by engaging hundreds of youths to adopt tree planting throughout the state.
He registered the appreciation of his government to the president for approving the much- awaited Kafin Zaki Dam project which, he said, if completed, will boost agricultural product in the country and provide job opportunities to thousands of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr Abba Sayyadi Ruma, yesterday expressed the Federal Government's determination to re-position all the existing agricultural programmes.
He told newsmen in Abuja that the re-positioning would enable the agricultural sector to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
The minister said the measure became imperative following the identification of more than 21 key development challenges facing the agricultural sector.
Ruma said the challenges ranged from inconsistent agricultural policies to poor credit access and management and weak private sector linkage.
Others, he said, included low mechanisation, poor chemical and fertiliser supply and decayed infrastructure, among others.
"Without re-positioning the agricultural sector, the country's development would remain a mirage and a source of waste to the economy," Ruma said.
He said government had outlined various strategies for achieving the set targets.
Ruma said government would strengthen agricultural research and development capacity for improved crops and seed varieties, breeding stock and fingerlings.
The minister said a comprehensive market information system would be established and that a "Buyer of Last Resort" framework would be instituted.
Ruma also said government would invest in the development of dams and irrigation infrastructure, among others.
The minister said the government had also instituted a Special Intervention Fund programme and enhanced the National Strategic Food Reserve Programme.
Furthermore, it had undertaken to promote "massive" market infrastructure and facilitate land clearing, he said.
Ruma said attention would also be focused on the promotion of private sector-driven initiatives, such as the establishment of agricultural industrial parks, warehouses and factory-driven agriculture.
"This will be pursued by a credit vehicle at a concessionary rate with federal and state governments' equity participation of 30 per cent," he said.
According to him, the lack of credit facility has remained a major factor militating against agricultural development in the country.
Ruma gave assurance that under the intervention programme, a "clear-cut" framework for credit delivery to all categories of farmers would be instituted.
He said for farmers holding below five hectares, credit facility would be provided by state governments with 20 per cent matching grant from the Federal Government through micro-finance institutions.
Ruma said large-scale farmers would be funded by the Federal Government through the floating of a N200 billion bond by the Debt Management Office (DMO).
He said all the agricultural programmes would be funded from a variety of sources through federal and state government's annual budgets, dedication of 1.68 per cent of the federation account as the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) and Agricultural Development Fund (ADF).
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
