AGRICULTURE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES FOR THE NORTH WEST ZONE OF NIGERIA

Category: MSc Political Science Tag: AGRICULTURE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES FOR THE NORTH WEST ZONE OF NIGERIA

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AGRICULTURE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES FOR THE NORTH WEST ZONE
OF NIGERIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS PAGE(S)

TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………….. i

CERTIFICATION…………………………………………………..ii

DEDICATION……………………………………………………… iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………… iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………….v – viii

LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………ix-x

LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………..xi

GLOSSARY OF TERMS…………………………………………….xii – xiii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ………………………………………..xiv-xv

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………xvi

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION PAGE(S)

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ……………………………………1 – 5

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM……………………………………5 – 7

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY……………………………………….7 -8

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY…………………………………….8

SCOPE OF THE STUDY……………………………………………….8-9

LIMITATION……………………………………………………………9-10

END NOTES…………………………………………………………..11- 12

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW PAGE(S)

THE CONCEPT OF AGRICULTURE……………………………. 13 – 15

AGRICULTURE AND NIGERIA’S ECONOMY…………………16 – 19

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA……………….19 – 26

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT…………………………………….. 26 – 31

SUMMARY ………………………………………………………….31

END NOTES………………………………………………………….32 – 35

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PAGE(S)

RESEARCH DESIGN………………………………………………36- 37

AREA OF STUDY………………………………………………….37

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION…………………………….37

METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS…………………………………38

WEAKNESS OF THE METHODOLOGY………………………..38-39

VALIDATIONS OF THE INSTRUMENT………………………..39

SUMMARY…………………………………………………………..39

END NOTES…………………………………………………………………40

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS PAGE(S)

EFFORTS OF PAST AND PRESENT GOVERNMENTS AT DEVELOPING AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA……………………41- 44

RECENT AGRICULTURE PROGRAMMES……………………….44-46

ASSESSMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT EFFORTS…………… .47

CONTRIBUTION TO GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT………….47-49

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE TO NATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT…………………………………………………….49-56

CHALLENGES TO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

IN NIGERIA………………………………………………………….56-68

FOOD PRODUCTION……………………………………………….68-71

AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS………………………………………..71-73

BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO AGRICULTURE……………….73-76

CAPACITY UTILISATION OF AGRO BASED INDUSTRIES…..76-79

STRATEGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN

THE NORTH WEST ZONE OF NIGERIA………………………..79- 88

ENDNOTES…………………………………………………………..89- 92

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE(S)

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………93-95

RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………….95-96

ANNEX A……………………………………………………………..A-1

ANNEX B……………………………………………………………..B-1

REFERENCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………….97-104

LIST OF TABLES

Serial	Title of Table	Page No
(a)	(b)	(c)
1.	Share of Agriculture in Gross Domestic Product	48
2.	Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product from Agriculture 1998- 2006	50
3.	Nigeria’s foreign exchange Earnings from Agriculture 1998- 2006	52
4.	Nigeria’s Rice Import Tariff 1985 2002	61
5.	Production Indices	63
6.	Production Statistics of some major stable foods (MT)	65
7.	Major cash crops production outputs (1000 tons)	67
8.	Share of food in total Import Value 1971- 2002	69-70
9.	Share of Agriculture in Total Export of Major Commodities 1965- 2002	72
(a)	(b)	(c)
10.	Agriculture allocation as a percentage of total government Budget 1970- 2004	74-75
11.	Processing Capacity utilisation by selected Agricultural Commodities ( TONNES)	77-78
12.	Percentage of Irrigated land that is irrigated by regions	87

LIST OF FIGURES

Serial	Title of Table	Page No
(a)	(b)	(c)
1.	Bar Chart Showing Percentage Share of Agriculture in Gross Domestic Product 1965-2002	49
2.	Bar Chart Showing Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product from Agriculture 1998-2006	51
3.	Bar Chart Showing Percentage of Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange Earnings from Agriculture 1998-2006	53
4.	Bar Chart Showing Percentage of Nigeria’s Rice Import Tariff 1985-2002	62
5.	Bar Chart Showing Percentage Share of Food in Total Import Value: 1971-2002	71
6.	Bar Chart Showing Percentage Share of Agriculture in Total Export of Major Commodities 1965-2002	73
7.	Bar Chart Showing Percentage of Agricultural Allocation as a Per cent of Total Government Budget 1970-2004	76
8.	Bar Chart Showing Per cent of Irrigated Land that is Irrigated by Regions	88

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Some key terminologies that would facilitate the understanding of the study are given some working definitions.

Agriculture. is the art, science and industry of managing the growth of plants and animals for human use.
Crop Production. This is the planting or sowing of plants to produce food items.
Development. A specified state of growth or advancement.
Gross Domestic Product. The total value of goods produced and services provided within a country during one year.
Inputs. What is put in, taken in or operated on by any process or system.
Irrigation. The process of supplying water to land or crops by artificial means so as to grow crops.
Mechanization. The use of heavy machines and automatic devices to carry out farming activities.
Sector. The distinct part of an economy, society or sphere of activity.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ACGS – Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme
ADP – Agricultural Development Project
CBN – Central Bank of Nigeria
CMP – Cassava Multiplication Project
FAO – Food and Agricultural Organisation
FOS – Federal Office of Statistics
GDP – Gross Domestic Product
IFAD – International Fund for Agricultural

Development

NACB – Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank
NACRDB – Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural

Development Bank

NBCI – Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry
NSS – National Seed Service
OFN – Operation Feed the Nation
OPEC – Organisation of Petroleum Exporting

Countries

RTEP – Root and Tuber Expansion Programme
USA – United States of America

ABSTRACT

The research is about the development of agriculture in Nigeria: challenges for the North West Zone of Nigeria. The study set to determine the efforts made by past and current governments at agricultural development in the country. The research assessed the performance of the sector and effects of these on the economy. The challenges of agricultural development were also identified. The ways of developing the sector so that it can compete with the oil sector was then proffered.

The researcher used both primary and secondary sources of information for the study but with a greater reliance on the latter. The analysis of data and Interview was used as part of the information to collate the challenges to agricultural development in the rural areas. The study revealed that there had been several efforts at agricultural development. The measures include policies and programmes. An assessment of the effects of these measures shows that agriculture declined from its premier position giving way to oil as the dominant sector of the economy.
Some challenges to agricultural development in the North West Zone were also identified. They include low budgetary allocation, inaccessibility to credit by farmers, and inadequate supply of inputs. The strategies for agricultural/development in the North West Zone of Nigeria, an antidote to these challenges like increased budgetary allocation, accessibility to credit and adequate supply of inputs to farmers were discussed. The Government should also adopt favourable policies in order to increase agricultural production.
Finally, the study made recommendations which would improve agricultural development in the North West Zone of Nigeria. This is with the aim of developing the Nigerian Economy in addition to the oil sector.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

The agricultural sector has a multiplier effect on any nation’s socio-economic and industrial fabric because of its multifunctional nature. A strong and efficient agricultural sector would enable a country to feed its growing population, generate employment, earn foreign exchange and provide raw materials for industries. The agricultural sector has the potential to be the industrial and economic springboard from which a country’s development can take off, (Chude, 1989:28). Indeed, more often than not, agricultural activities are usually concentrated in the less-developed rural areas where there is a critical need for rural transformation, redistribution, poverty alleviation and socio-economic development. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. Agriculture is also observed in certain species of ant and termite.

Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant rising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. perm culture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture).

In Nigeria, during the early post independence
days (1960 – 1970) before the discovery of oil, agriculture served as the engine of growth of the overall Nigerian economy, (Chude, 1989:28). From the standpoint of occupational distribution and contribution to the GDP, agriculture was the leading sector. During this period Nigeria was the world’s second largest producer of cocoa, largest exporter of palm kernel and largest producer and exporter of palm oil. Nigeria was also a leading exporter of other major commodities such as cotton, groundnut, rubber and hides and skins, (Adeniyi, 1991:16). The agricultural sector contributed over 60 per cent of the GDP in the 1960s and despite the reliance of Nigerian peasant farmers on traditional tools and indigenous farming methods, These farmers produced 70 per cent of Nigeria’s exports and 95 per cent of its food needs, (FAO, Summary of World Food and Agricultural Statistics 2003, Rome 2004:46-47).

The agricultural sector declined dramatically in
the 1970s following the oil boom. While the oil sector has remained the dominant sector of the economy, agriculture has been neglected and relegated to the background, (Robert 2004:3). This is in sharp contrast to the situation in other oil producing countries where agricultural production generates significant revenue for their governments. For instance, Indonesia and Russia are leading oil exporting countries that produced 50 million metric tonnes of rice and 36 million metric tonnes of coarse grains respectively in 2001, (Robert 2004:6). The grains produced were sufficient to cater for the countries consumption and the surplus exported to generate additional income for their governments.

Oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in Nigeria at Oloibiri in Bayelsa state in 1956, (Robert 2004:7). Since the discovery of oil, the sector had witnessed rapid development and growth with government attention being gradually shifted from agriculture to the petroleum sector. The petroleum industry thus became more attractive and profitable and also became a major diplomatic and political economic resource. The country thus joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries (OPEC) in 1971, (Sam 2004:3), as at 2001, oil exports accounted for 98 per cent of the country’s total exports. This was produced at an annual rate of 826 million barrels from
over 150 oil fields that are mostly in the Niger Delta region, (Rilwanu 2001). The government’s immediate concern was towards petroleum as the main source of income. Nigeria became a mono – product economy due to its reliance on a single product for a substantial part of its revenue.

Nigeria is made up of 5 geographical zones, namely the North East, North West, South- South, South East and south West. Of these 5 geographical zones, the population from the North West are predominantly farmers this can be attributed to the availability of arable farm land and their cultural heritage. However, there has been little progress in the development of agriculture in that Zone just like in other parts of Nigeria. Many agricultural programmes aimed at developing the sector were put in place in the past without much progress.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The volatility of petroleum prices in the world market has led to the instability of the Nigerian economy. This is due to Nigeria’s over dependence on oil for its revenue. Consequently, the economy has remained a mono-product economy, weak and unable to effectively support the needed growth or development. The diversification of the economy has taken a centre stage in the present effort towards economic reforms in the country. The agricultural sector readily presents itself as that vital alternative in this regard.

There have been efforts in the past towards the development of the agricultural sector albeit without appreciable results. This research therefore seeks to examine the efforts made in the past, why they failed and how agriculture could be developed to be at par with petroleum in generating revenue for the Government. This could be achieved by providing answers to the following questions:

What efforts were made in the past by the Government towards agricultural development?

What were the factors responsible for the ineffectiveness of Government policies towards agricultural development?

What are the constraints to agricultural development in the North West Zone of Nigeria?
How can the Government develop the agricultural sector in order to reduce over dependence on oil?

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are as follows:

To examine efforts made by the Nigerian government in the past towards developing a viable agricultural sector.

To identify the factors responsible for the ineffectiveness of policies in the past and the constraints to agricultural development in Nigeria.

To develop policies and programmes that could be employed for the development of agriculture in the North West Zone of Nigeria.

To highlight what Nigeria stands to benefit from the development of agriculture in order to reduce it’s over dependence on oil.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will also assist Government in formulating policy strategies towards agricultural development in Nigeria. Accelerate Agricultural development in the North West Zone of Nigeria and the Country in general. Furthermore, it will serve as a reference material to future researches in the field of agricultural development in the country. It is also hoped that the study will add to existing literature and body of knowledge.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The research covers the period from 1965-2009. However, greater emphasis will be laid from 1970 to 1983 this is because from records, most of the significant policies on agriculture were made during this period.

In the course of this study however, relevant literature on this subject will be referred to. This will include literature from 1984 till date.

1.6 LIMITATIONS

In the course of the research, the following limitations were encountered:

Inability of the researcher to visit the Ministry of Agriculture Abuja, however Kaduna State ministry of Agriculture as well as the Ahmadu Bello University Department of Agriculture were visited. Most of the data used in this study were obtained from there. However, up-to-date data were not readily available on the subject matter, as custodians of some relevant data were unwilling to make them readily available. However, this did not have any significant effect on the findings of this research work.

Most of the data obtained were from government sources; therefore its accuracy cannot be ascertained.

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