Prof. Abba Gambo, the Senior Agricultural Advisor to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), has voiced apprehension regarding the insufficient budget allocation for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in the 2024 budget.
The allocated sum of N110.25 billion, as stated in the 2024 budget appropriation bill, falls below one percent (0.392857143 percent) of the total N28 trillion approved by the National Assembly.
This stark contrast to the 2003 Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security, wherein African countries, including Nigeria, committed to allocating 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture development.
Gambo, while commending the realignment of the national budget to January, described the figure as significantly less than the commitment outlined in the Maputo Declaration.
He emphasized that the challenges posed by a 31.5 percent food inflation rate, security concerns in key agricultural states, and existing issues such as poor extension services, lack of quality seeds, high fertilizer costs, and the farmers/pastoralists crisis, make achieving food security a daunting task with the allocated amount.
Highlighting the persistent challenges like post-harvest losses, inadequate infrastructure for storage and transportation, and security threats to farmers, Gambo expressed skepticism about the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security effectively navigating through these issues with the current budget.
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