Full text of ActionAid, Non-State Actors communique on the implementation of CAADP
ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and ActionAid International (AAI) organised a one-day
Non-State Actors (NSAs) Post National Dialogue & Dissemination on Nigeria’s
Performance at the 3rd Biennial Review Exercise on the Implementation of the
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to provide information and capacity for CSOs, Smallholder Women Farmers and Media networks to better engage the post 3rd BR process and emerging policy issues on May 19, 2022, in Hawthorn Suites, Abuja.
The training and meeting brought together a total number of 44 Budget
Committee Group (BCG) members, smallholder women farmers, CSOs and
media across 7 States, the FCT and the national level.
COMMENDATIONS
The training and meeting recognises and commend the progressive improvement in the collaboration between Federal and State governments and the Non-State Actors in the effort towards promoting increased investment, transparency, and
accountability in public financing of agriculture across the States.
We commend the Nigerian government for making progress as the 3rd BR report
indicated that 51 Member States reported but only one country which is Rwanda is on track, with 19 Member States including Nigeria classified as progressing well while 31 countries are not on track.
KEY OBSERVATIONS
1. The meeting observed that in the 3rd BR report, Nigeria is reported to be on track
in the commitment on Halving Poverty through Agriculture by 2025 while the
reality on ground suggests otherwise. The reality is anchored on need to improve on this fragile reported progress in the commitment on halving poverty through agriculture by 2025. The real outcomes and impacts will translate into
improvements in food price, poverty rate, nutrition status, access to agricultural
finance, and agricultural value addition.
2. Nigeria is reported not to be on track in the following commitments:
i. Recommitment to the Principles and Values of the CAADP Process
ii. Enhancing Investment Financing in Agriculture
iii. Ending Hunger by 2025
iv. Enhancing Resilience to Climate Variability
v. Enhancing Mutual Accountability for Actions and Results.
During the 3rd Biennial Review Process, ActionAid trained smallholder women
farmers, Activista, Partners and other CSOs on the use of the Non-State Actors
(NSAs) Value Addition Biennial Review Toolkit (VABKIT) and supported them to
generate smallholder women farmers’ state level data (related to the BR
indicators) to feed into the Report of Nigeria for the 3rd Biennial Review (BR)
Exercise on the Implementation of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP).
3.1. The data/information collected through the VABKIT that reflected the lived
realities of smallholder women farmers across the 36 states and the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) shows that nationwide, smallholder women farmers
currently have only:
i. 18% access to processing facilities
ii. 16.60% access to storage facilities
iii. 13.50% access to off-takers/access to markets
iv. 9.60% access to transportation for agricultural produce
v. 42.30% access to trainings
vi. On Extension Services, smallholder women farmers have access to only
5.26% farm demonstrations and 19.47% farmers field schools.
vii. On agricultural credit, they have access to less than 23% of existing credit
facilities
viii.On Agricultural Insurance, smallholder women farmers have only 4.77%
access.
ix. On access to and control over land, about 59% of them have access to land,
29.77% have control, while only 11.23% are engaged in land governance
discussions.
x. While government is making effort to improve the space for more Public
Private Partnerships arrangements in Nigeria’s agriculture sector,
smallholder women farmers’ access to such schemes across the country
remains below 27%.
4. The meeting observed that federal and states’ annual budgetary allocations and
expenditure performances remains low in quantity and quality falling below the
Maputo/Malabo Declaration minimum of 10%.
5. Regrettably, the late passage and releases of fund to the sector continues to impede the capacity of Federal and State governments to drive socio-economic development including food security within the policy thrust of the diversification of the economy towards agriculture.
6. Some Federal and States MDAs do not respect the Freedom of Information (FOI)
Act as regards to public access to budget proposals, appropriation, releases, and
utilization of funds, thus, impedes the BR process.
7. Farms are getting abandoned due to security threats and natural disasters.
Making farms safe and funding agricultural mechanisation will create not only more food but also jobs to engage restless youths that have turned to crime for a living.
8. There is need for improved awareness and knowledge on the CAADP/ Malabo
performance indicators by stakeholders (Ministries, Departments and Agencies,
State Ministries, Farmer Organizations, CSOs, Private Sector, etc.).
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NIGERIA TO BE ON TRACK IN MEETING THE
2014 MALABO DECLARATION COMMITMENTS AND ACHIEVE FOOD
SECURITY
1. Given that Nigerian government has approved the new national agricultural
policy (National Agricultural Transformation and Innovation Plan-NATIP), the
3rd National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP III) should be developed
immediately with stakeholders to guide the implementation of NATIP aligning
targets and indicators to the Biennial Review indicators to ensure Nigeria is on
track in meeting the Malabo Commitments.
2. FMARD should work with the media and other stakeholders to create
awareness/sensitization on the new agricultural policy as part of effort towards
promoting improved citizen participation in the budget process.
3. We call on Federal and State Executives, National and State Houses of
Assembly to Scale Up Public Investment in Agriculture, and ensure timely
consideration, passage, and total budget releases as a strategic approach to
increase food production, reduce hunger and poverty and achieve the Maputo/Malabo Commitments.
4. As approved by the 44th National Council on Agriculture and Rural
Development (NCARD); the three tiers of government should commit 10% of
their annual budget to the agriculture sector to meet the minimum 10%
Maputo/Malabo Declaration required to support at least 6% growth rate for the
sector as postulated in the CAADP framework.
5. 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, Irrigation, Inputs, PostHarvest 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.
6. The yearly Federal and States agriculture budget should be more gender responsive by providing line items for the implementation of the National
Gender Policy in Agriculture that address specific challenges that affect
women farmers different from men as well as avoid lumping up budget for
women farmers and other groups such as youths.
7. The existing relationship between the Federal and State Governments and
the Non-States Actors should be strengthened in a bid to promote
accountability and transparency in public resource management.
8. For improved CAADP Biennial Reporting to the AUC, there should be
continuous adoption of the use of CAADP/Malabo indicators at state level and capacity building of stakeholders on the CAADP/Malabo performance
indicators.
9. Considering the agricultural risks of floods, droughts, fires, pests, and
diseases, cattle destruction of farms, rising insecurity in farms and kidnappings, both Federal and State governments should promote agricultural
insurance for smallholder farmers, while addressing security issues that
threatens lives and farms of farmers.
10.The meeting appreciates the support of the media and calls on them to
increase their collaboration with the civil society groups in promoting
increased investment in Agriculture.
11.MDAs at the National and State levels are urged to respect the FOI Act and
provide access to budget information.
12.The agriculture sector requires a separate budget cycle to enable FMARD
achieve its mandate. Buffer funds from sources such as Consolidated Oil
Revenue, Oil Revenue Surplus, Natural Resource Funds, Climate Resource
Funds should be utilised. The National Agricultural Development Fund
(Establishment) Bill, 2019 proposed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture
and Rural Development should be considered given the strategic importance of the sector.
13.There is need to strengthen the monitoring of implementation of Agricultural projects in the budget by all relevant stakeholders such as FMARD, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, State Ministries of
Agriculture and Agriculture Committees in the NASS and State Assemblies,
Farmers and CSOs using an adapted CAADP Results measurement
framework and reports documented, shared, and reviewed to enhance
lessons learning and improvement in budget implementation.
Endorsed By
1. SmallScale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON)
2. ActionAid Nigeria
3. Ondo state Radio Corporation (OSRC), Ondo State
4. Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), Ondo State
5. Daily Independence Newspaper, Lagos State
6. Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE),
Kwara State
7. Worthy Life Education and Health Foundation (WLEHF), Kwara State
8. ZITI Communications-ZITI Newspaper, Taraba State
9. Initiative for Grassroot Advancement (INGRA), Kogi State
10.ACTIVISTA, Ondo State
11.Authority Newspaper, Kogi State
12.Keen and Care Initiative (KCT), Abuja
13.Sylvanews.com, Lagos State
14.Nigerian Voice online/Nigerian Patrol Newspaper, Ebonyi State
15.Participatory Development Alternatives (PDA), Ebonyi State
16.Initiative for Social Change in Nigeria (VOFCA), Ebonyi State
17.The Guardian Newspapers, Lagos State
18.Cal-Maji Foundation, Abuja
19.National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), Abuja
20.Radio Nigeria- Harmony 103.5FM, Kwara State
21.Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre (ENVIRUMEDIC), Delta State
22.Community Empowerment and Development Initiative (CEDI), Delta State
23.Nijaagronet (ITrealms Media), Lagos State
24.News Agency of Nigeria
25.The Sun Newspaper, Lagos State
26.Leadtots Development Initiative, Bauchi State
27.Delta Broadcasting Service, Warri, Delta State
28.Periscope Nigeria, Gombe State
29.Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative, Bauchi State
30.Hope Foundation for the Lonely, Gombe State
31.Young Farmers Initiatives
