A National Task
Force to drive the production of wheat and rice was recently inaugurated
in Abuja with Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu as its
chairman. His state, Kebbi, is expected to play a pivotal role in the
program along with Kano and Ebonyi states. Other committee members
include Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Ebonyi State Governor
David Umahi, Minister of State for Agriculture, President of Wheat
Farmers Association of Nigeria and President of Rice Farmers Association
of Nigeria.
At the committee's
inauguration,
Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo said that move was
necessary to consolidate government's diversification policy. He said,
"What we are trying to achieve is to make agriculture our mainstay and
we are trying to evolve a strategy for the economy. A strategy for
employment and a strategy for feeding our people. Rice and wheat is our
main focus and we intend to make sure that in one year we can show the
world that we are serious." The committee is mandated to fix production
targets for rice and wheat among the states taking part in the
programme. It will also determine the scope, markets and government's
commitments necessary for success. Also listed among the terms of
reference is the removal of deficiencies in the value chain and
facilitating farmers' access to support facilities such as the Central
Bank of Nigeria's [CBN] Anchor Borrowers' Programme.
At this time of
foreign exchange scarcity, it is commendable to fashion alternatives to
the importation of these two products that have become some of the
biggest consumers of foreign exchange. At a point, Nigeria was the
largest importer of wheat from the United States. Even when we fell to
third position in 2010/2011, we were still the most consistent customer
of American wheat producers when we imported 3.5 million tons of wheat
in the first quarter of that year. We are also one of the largest
importers of rice in the world. Therefore, while we applaud the
government's goal and its efforts, we cannot but entertain some fears.
There has always been a disconnect in this country between laudable
policies and their implementation. Our archives are laden with once
celebrated but long forgotten policies. Making state governors the
fulcrum of the committee could become a problem because they have more
than enough on their plates already.
In this goal we
must take serious note of the country's climate. While rice is a
tropical crop and almost all states in Nigeria can produce it, same
cannot be said of wheat which needs low temperature, a lot of water, a
lot of fertiliser, a lot of pesticides and many other difficult
requirements. It is well to recall that in the late 1980s, President
Ibrahim Babangida's military regime introduced the Accelerated Wheat
Production Programme to wean Nigeria off massive wheat imports as part
of the Structural Adjustment Program, SAP. Babangida also banned wheat
imports. Despite massive Federal subsidies, or perhaps because of them,
the program failed and was later abandoned.
This is not to say
that we shouldn't try again because of past failures. We must however
learn from previous mistakes and not to commit them again. The Bagudu
task force should set realizable targets and eschew over ambition.
Nigeria could establish a competitive edge in rice production, being a
tropical crop but we may have to restrict rice imports while we pursue
our production targets. We must also straighten out some of the policy
ironies of the Jonathan regime, including allowing rice millers to
import husky brown rice at a concessionary duty, only for them to turn
around and import fully polished rice. The Nigeria Customs Service is
still trying to recover 21 billion naira in unpaid duty from the rice
importers that exceeded their quotas. Governor Bagudu's task force has
one year to prove its worth. This must not be another failed national
program.
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