ActionAid Nigeria urges govt to improve agric funding

ActionAid Nigeria urged Federal and State Governments to boost agriculture and adopt a better budget. At the National Stakeholders Consultative Forum on the 2025 Agriculture Budget (July 29-31, 2024), participants called for increased investment, timely budget actions, and alignment with the Maputo/Malabo Commitments.
They recommended allocating 10% of annual budgets to agriculture, focusing on gender-sensitive budgeting, extension services, credit access, labor-saving technologies, post-harvest loss reduction, and climate-resilient farming. State governments were advised to develop Agricultural Investment Plans for accurate reporting.
The forum stressed addressing farm security, promoting private investment, and enhancing fisheries and aquaculture. ActionAid’s Andrew Mamedu highlighted the urgency of reducing food prices, referencing the August 1, 2024, protest. Fatima Bello of the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation noted severe malnutrition due to economic hardship.
Source- Punch

Our Review
ActionAid Nigeria has called on Federal and State Governments to enhance agriculture with better budgets. At the National Stakeholders Consultative Forum on the 2025 Agriculture Budget (July 29-31, 2024), participants stressed the need for increased investment, timely budget actions, and alignment with the Maputo/Malabo Commitments.
Allocating 10% of budgets to agriculture, focusing on gender-sensitive budgeting, extension services, credit access, labor-saving technologies, post-harvest loss reduction, and climate-resilient farming will significantly impact the agri-food value chain. These investments are expected to boost productivity, reduce losses, and support smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.
State governments were advised to create Agricultural Investment Plans for better planning. The forum emphasized addressing farm security, promoting private investment, and enhancing fisheries and aquaculture.
ActionAid’s Andrew Mamedu highlighted the urgency of reducing food prices, citing the August 1, 2024 protest. Fatima Bello of the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation noted severe malnutrition due to economic hardship.
Implementing these recommendations will strengthen the agricultural value chain, improving food production, security, and economic growth.