By Isaac Ogerugba
ASABA/Nigeria: In a clarion call to address the escalating food crisis in Nigeria, Professor Pius Ike, a distinguished academician and Professor of Agricultural Economics at Dennis Osadebe University, Anwai, Asaba, has urged government at all levels to urgently implement the Malabo Agreement of 2014.
Speaking during the 2nd installment of the Inaugural Lecture series at the university, themed “National Food Crisis: The Nexus of Public Capital Expenditure and Nigeria’s Budgetary Allocation to Agriculture,” Prof. Ike emphasized the critical need for adherence to the provisions of the Malabo Agreement to mitigate the food insecurity plaguing the nation.
“The Malabo agreement stipulates a ten percent budgetary allocation to agriculture, aiming for a six percent annual agricultural growth, as endorsed by Heads of States and Governments across Africa,” Prof. Ike reiterated during his lecture held in Asaba last week.
Highlighting the current inadequacies in budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector, Prof. Ike lamented the consistent shortfall in funding, citing Nigeria’s historical inconsistency in meeting the recommended targets. “Nigeria’s annual budgetary allocation to agriculture has averaged a mere 1.52% over the past four decades, significantly below the ten percent threshold set by the African Union,” he stated.
Despite Nigeria’s commitment as a signatory to the Malabo Declaration, Prof. Ike emphasized the country’s failure to honor its obligations, with budgetary allocations consistently falling short of expectations. “The lack of sustained incremental budgetary allocation to agriculture has hindered the sector’s development and exacerbated food insecurity,” he explained.
Proposing a viable solution, Prof. Ike advocated for the development of a framework for incremental budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector. He projected that with a modest one percent annual increase, Nigeria could achieve the recommended ten percent allocation by 2030, thus addressing the pressing food security concerns.
Commending Prof. Ike for his insightful exposition on the challenges facing the agricultural sector, the Vice Chancellor of Dennis Osadebe University, Prof. Ben Oghojafor, underscored the urgency for government action to implement the recommendations put forth by the esteemed agricultural economist.
The inaugural lecture, attended by various stakeholders including Hon. Charles Emetulu, the representative of Ndokwa West and Chairman of the House Committee on Education in the Delta State House of Assembly, members of the university’s Governing Council, academia, industry leaders, traditional rulers, and government officials, served as a platform to chart a course towards addressing Nigeria’s food security crisis.
