COMMUNIQUE
Preamble
Hope Foundation for the Lonely (HFTL) in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria, Gombe State Public Financing for Agriculture Budget Committee Group organised a 1-day Public Financing for Agriculture Budget Committee Summit held at Hajiya Amina Hall, Gombe on 16th November 2021.
The Forum brought together a total number of 25 Budget Committee Group (BCG) members across 15 Civil Society Organisations. The Summit was held to share experiences, best practices, and build a link towards achieving Scaling up Public Investments in Agriculture (SUPIA).
COMMENDATION
The Forum recognises and commend the progressive improvement in the collaboration between the Gombe State government and Small scale women farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) in the effort towards promoting increased investment, transparency and accountability in public financing of agriculture across the State.
KEY OBSERVATIONS
- The forum observed a marginal increase in agricultural budget allocations in the State between 2012 and 2021. However, these allocations still fall below the Maputo/Malabo Declaration benchmark of 10%, as that of 2021 budget on Agriculture is 3.3 % but the 2022 proposed fiscal budget has just 1.8% of the overall budget for Agriculture in Gombe state.
- Regrettably, the non-release of budgeted funds especially to SWOFON and the sector continues to impede the capacity of State Government to drive socio-economic development including food security within the policy thrust of the diversification with the focus on Small-scale women farmers of the economy towards agriculture.
- Gombe State is yet to have a comprehensive Agricultural policy which is expected to focus and drive development of favourable and sustainable guidelines for the promotion of economic growth. However, the 10-year Development Plan (DEVAGOM) is supposed to capture some agriculture-related development.
- Making farms safe and funding agricultural mechanisation will create not only more food but also jobs to engage restless youth that have turned to crime for a living. Without solving food-farm security issues, we cannot solve the State’s security issues. With rising hunger and social insecurity as well as farmer-herder conflict, the peace of Gombe State will continue to be threatened. Farms are being abandoned due to social security threats and natural disasters. The Government should deliberately strengthen security Mechanisms and Systems to mitigate farmer-herder conflict.
- There is inadequate awareness on the CAADP/Malabo performance indicators by Stakeholders (Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Farmer Organisations, Civil Society Organisations, Private Sector, etc.).
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
- We call on the State Executives and the State House of Assembly to Scale-up Public Investment in Agriculture and to ensure total budget release as a strategic approach to increase food production, reduce hunger and poverty and to implement the Malabo 10% Commitment.
- Public investment in agriculture should be scaled-up in the specific areas of Extension Services, Access to Credit, Women in Agriculture, Youth in Agriculture, Appropriate Labour-Saving Technologies, Inputs, Post-Harvest Losses Reduction Supports (processing facilities, storage facilities, trainings, market access, etc.), Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA)/Agroecology, Research and Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, as well as Coordination.
- Gombe State Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry should constitute a Gender Steering Committee which will include SWOFON for the implementation of the Gender policy in the Agricultural sector, in a bid to offer equal access and gender sensitive approaches towards food production.
- The existing relationship between the State Government and the CSOs should be strengthened in a bid to promote accountability and transparency in Agriculture public resource management.
- There is need to bring more Small-holder Women farmers to the front of the budget planning discussions at State and Local Government levels. Women need to be brought side-by-side with their male counterpart in the planning, discussions and decisions in agricultural budget and its implementation.
- There is need to have a State investment plan for the agricultural sector. The State investment plan should be a compilation of the LGAs developed agricultural investment plans that contains local crops with comparative advantages. Such plan will highlight the commitment of the State, Public Private Partnership windows and their alignment to the national economic policy and development plans.
- In the light of late budget releases, MDAs need to itemise their priorities and give a proper timeline that synchronizes with farmers and farming seasons. Without such timed budget, capital budget releases may not be coming at the time when farmers need them.
- The forum appreciates the support of the media and calls on them to increase their collaboration with SWOFON, Budget Committee and Civil Society Groups in promoting increased investment in Agriculture.
- Most Agricultural activities are seasonal and is determined by climatic conditions. Fund releases should consider and give priority to seasonal projects (dry season farming). The State Government may need to legislate on warehousing funds to the Agricultural sector to mitigate the effect of untimely release of funds.
Endorsed By
Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Gombe State Chapter.
Hope Foundation for the Lonely, Gombe State
Young Farmers Initiative, Gombe State
Periscope Nigeria.
National Council of Women Societies (NCWS)
Energetic Youth Heritage Initiative.
Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)
Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ)
Global Initiative for Nature Improvement (GINI)
Ahmed Kawu Heart for Children Initiative (AKHCI)
Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation (KSCF)
Foundation for Youth Awakening and Empowerment (FOYAE)
Motherhen Development Foundation (MDF)
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)
Hinna Youth Development Forum (HYDF)
Victims of Drug Abuse Succour Centre (VODAC)
Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA)