Towards achieving Food Security in Akwa Ibom

Governor Udom Emmanuel

BY PROMISE ETIM

Food Security is the availability of food for year round consumption in terms of quantity and quality. Food security has been given prior attention in the country over the past decade or so. It is believed that over N600bn is spent annually on food importation by Government at all levels. Nigeria imports more than 65% of agricultural produce consumed by its population.
With a land mass of 98.3 million hectares available for agricultural practices, less than 60% of this has been utilized so far as a result of the nation’s continued dependency on crude Oil as source of income. The continued neglect of the Agricultural sector can be linked to lack of interest and inadequate funding.
Before the discovery of Oil in Olibri, Rivers State in 1959, Agriculture was the driving force of the nation’s economy. Through Agricultural proceeds, infrastructures were built across the nation and other sectors developed massively. The situation got to a disappointing twist in the late 70’s as crude Oil gradually took over the lead in the income generation index of the country.
A recent survey revealed that about 60 – 70 % of the Nigerians are involved in Agriculture, but the contribution of Agriculture to the GDP over the past 15 years has been between 37.4 to 41.5%. This is far off what was obtainable two decades ago. Government at all levels has channeled resources to the sector to return the nation’s economic base to Agriculture and engage gear towards achieving the millennium development goals.
Towards securing this dream and placing Akwa Ibom in the comity of State’s that are food secured, the present administration of Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has showed clear intent, with regards to developing the Agricultural sector. This is evident in the setting up an agricultural development and food sufficiency.
The socio-economic and political environment of the state is believed to be the principal determinant of food security, as it directly influences availability, price stability, supplies, storage and access to food.
Akwa Ibom people generally consume far above what can is locally harvested by farmers within the state. Huge amount has been invested by the state Government to see to the speedy growth of the agricultural sector, but yet, little can be shown in terms of dividend. Between 45 – 55% of what is harvested by local farmers is lost annually, as a result of poor post harvest operations.
Majority of the rural populace depend on agro related activities as a means of livelihood; the appraisal on the past shows that successive administrations in state had initiated programmes towards ensuring food is available and accessible for the teeming population. Not much can be said in terms of measuring what is being invested and output.
One of such interventions being the Integrated Farmers Scheme (IFS). The IFS has facilitated the training of thousands of Akwa Ibom people in various fields of Agriculture, with the sole aim of boasting food production. At the end of a regular IFS training programe, trainees were given financial aid of N500,000 to fast-track setting up of agri-business, depending on the capacity of what they were trained during the programme. The IFS has not lived up to its billing lately, as the program has been abandoned, with paucity of funds fingered as major concern.
With the continued shortfall of Oil at the global market, the economic fortunes of the state and nation lie in Agricultural production. Most states of the federation are already looking in this direction. Akwa Ibom State is not an exception, as development of the Agricultural sector is given prior attention by the Udom Emmanuel administration.
Rural farmers constitute more than 80% of the agricultural production index of the state. Research has indicated the following factors as major impediments to increased food production in the state as well as the country; High level of poverty, particularly in rural areas; Inadequate policy on food and nutrition; Poor funding of the agricultural sector; Lack of interest in agriculture; Lack of continuity (In terms of Governments and Programs/Projects).
Other factors include; The gap between the rich and the poor in the state; Prevalent post harvest losses; Non-availability of credit facilities to better the lives of rural dwellers who are key players in the agricultural production value-chain; Inability of the state to embrace mechanized farming as value addition framework; Rural-Urban drift; Inadequate strengthening of policies that will promote investment in the sector locally and globally; Climate change; Poor market structures; Environmental degradation; Social, religious and ethnic vices; Inadequate Infrastructures.
Agricultural development challenges vary in locations, but the gross analysis show that environmental concerns, government policies and funding generally characterize these factors. Against this backdrop, it is crucial to seek answers to questions raised as to what needs to be done to ensure food is not just available for the people, but affordable and accessible.

The way forward:
Akwa Ibom as the fastest developing state in sub-Saharan Africa still has a long way to go towards achieving food security, which is a top priority in the millennium development goals of the United Nations. Achieving food security is very key to creating an opening for the state to take its place in the country’s agricultural development map.
The agricultural development roadmap of the state can easily be defined, through embracing a model that will clearly assess the state’s food security challenges. This will lead to determining the basic indices for propagating solutions, particularly in rural areas. The Udom Emmanuel administration should consider mediums to explore for provision of credit facilities to rural farmers, which constitute majority of farmers in the state.
The new administration should also look into the area of providing effective storage facilities that will promote round the year production, to enable farmers close in on unpredictable climatic conditions. This will ensure that Food production grows consistently above demands, to bridge shortfalls.
The State Government should collaborate with Agricultural and Food production agencies like: River Basin Development Authority Programme (RBDA), Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and others to tackle Food Insecurity, by encouraging synergy. These agencies will help the state redefine the framework for development of crop, livestock and fish production modules, with particular reference to rural dwellers, as obtainable elsewhere.
Policies should be established to cover the following areas: land accessibility, fertilizer and raw materials availability, mechanization, processing and storage facilities, market capitalization, extension service, training and research.
In line with President Buhari’s resolve to reposition the agricultural sector, the state Government should look at ways to reduce the rate of food importation, through encouraging production and utilization of locally available agricultural resources. This in the long run, will enhance the standard of living of rural farmers, who are key players in the value addition chain and production index.
As a matter of utmost importance, the new administration, should hugely investment in Research and Development (R&D), as bedrock for tackling issues affecting agricultural production in the state. In addition, capacity building programs should be instituted for stakeholders in the sector. This can best be achieved by adopting a bottom-top approach, which will ensure that rural farmers are considered first, before those in urban centers.
The planned training of one thousand Youths from the state in various field Agriculture in Israel, should be channeled towards addressing some of the challenges faced by the state in the area of food production. This initiative should not be compromised by politicians and others who may see the training program as an opportunity to visit the Middle East nation. A thorough process should be adopted to ensure persons who are agriculturally inclined are selected for the training. Farming is a rural activity, there is need to consider more persons domiciled in rural communities for the training program.
Similarly, Government should intensify efforts to fully embrace mechanized farming in the state, to compliment the subsistence farming practice adopted by many over the years. This is necessary to ensure increased food production and meet demands of the masses. The process should be gradual, as local farmers must be carried along in the scheme of things; before, during and after agricultural production processes.