'Sign Seed Bill to rescue Nigerian Farmers'

President Muhammadu Buhari

By EDDY OCHIGBO

Farmers in Nigeria and critical stakeholders in the nation's agricultural sector have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the National Agricultural Seeds Council(NASC) Amendment Bill, towards taking agriculture to the next level in the country.

Speaking during the week, at a one-day strategy session in Abuja, put together by the National Agricultural Seeds Advocacy Group (NASAG) in collaboration with Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn(PERL-ECP), NASC's Director-General, Dr Olusegun Ojo, said the call for the president to sign the Seed Bill became necessary because access to quality seeds of improved crop variety would no doubt go a long way in enhancing and sustaining agricultural productivity and food security to compliment the on-going efforts by the Buhari administration to diversify the economy.

"The general decline in growth rate of agriculture's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) from 4.27% in 2014 to 3.72% in 2015 also impacted on the decline in certified seed production from 178,039 metric tonnes produced in 2014 to 123,597 metric tonnes recorded in 2015", Dr Ojo stated, explaining that the decline could be attributed to farmer's inability to access quality seeds.

While maintaining that for the council to effectively sanitize the seed industry and rid the market of the sale of fake, adulterated and poor quality seeds, the NASC Amendment Bill currently awaiting the president's assent, when signed into law, would streamline and strengthen the sector for accelerated economic growth, the DG commended the efforts of stakeholders and development partners for the sustained quality seeds campaign in the country.

Also speaking at the event, an official of the council, Mr Charles Onwuka jr. regretted that despite Nigeria's acclaimed position as the giant of Africa, it was still not among the top ten African countries which are food secured on the continent. He contended that lack of access to quality seeds remains one of the greatest setbacks to farmers in the country.

The Seed Bill when into law shall among other things, empower the council to: effectively analyze and formulate programs, policies and actions regarding seed development and the seed industry in general, including research on issues relating to seed testing, registration, release, production, marketing, distribution, certification, quality control, supply and use of seeds in Nigeria, importation and exportation of seeds; design improved management system and procedure relating to administration of seed activity; and approve policies and strategies to protect small seed producers, local varieties and to promote quality seed production as the case may be.

At the end of the engagement stakeholders agreed and adopted actionable strategies, developed an advocacy brief and launched the social media campaign with the hashtag #SignSeedsBill.

Comments

'Terrorists are all over, not only Southern Kaduna'

-Governor Nasir el-Rufai el-Rufai addressing Journalists in Hausa after a security meeting on Southern Kaduna By DANGWA DANJUMA G overnor Ahmed Nasir el-Rufai has admitted that terrorists are everywhere in Kaduna state, not only in the troubled Southern Kaduna, disclosing that miscreants have taken to the social media space to promote what he called disturbing and further aggravating the worsening situation situation with religious and ethnic colouration. Speaking to newsmen in Hausa, after a meeting with security officials, el-Rufai said that miscreants from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and outside Nigeria are trying to insinuate that the Southern Kaduna killings is ethnic and religious even going as far as asking people to take the law into their hands. While maintaining that these people would be brought to book, he tasked traditional leaders, religious leaders and political office holders in the state to speak the truth about the happenings as failing to do so wo...

COVID-19, Public Spending and Accountability in Kaduna State.

Hand washing in compliance with Covid-19 protocols By YUSUF GOJE T he way Kaduna State government is handling the Covid-19 pandemic can be faulted on other grounds but not on the pro-activeness and decisiveness with which it is confronting the resultant public health crisis and its socio-economic consequences. Objectively speaking, the decisions, many of which are controversial, remain the most viable alternative for any serious government to take in emergencies like this. After all, unusual times require unusual measures. The Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-rufai, on various public platforms has disclosed his readiness to face any resultant consequences of such decisions. Now that the government is getting a hold on how to contain the spread of the pandemic, even though the numbers keep rising, it is time for citizens to begin to also ask the right questions. This is necessary because the global economy is contracting at an accelerated pace. Sub-...

N81.68bn Supplementary Budget: Matters Arising!

By YUSUF GOJE R egardless of the good intention - anything for us, without us, cannot be for us. I have been wondering if the Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitment one (Open Budget) covers supplementary budgets in Kaduna state.. The proposed supplementary budget of 81.68bn before the Kaduna State House of Assembly (KSHoA) is about 51.8% of the total 2019 approved budget of N157.45bn; which when passed will take the budget for the year to about N230bn. This is said to be from the World Bank loan approved for Kaduna state. While I have no personal issue with the loan, because it has a clause that makes it non-discretional (tied to projects) and we are ready as civil society to track its utilization; over the past three years, even with the OGP in place, we have been having supplementary budgets passed without citizen's engagement and inputs, more so, without their initial knowledge. We usually become aware of it just before or after KSHoA passes it into ...

Coalition urges COP-27 to fast track advocacy against Climate Change

Participants in a group photograph after the event in Kaduna By EDDY OCHIGBO, A coalition of environmental organizations in Kaduna, under the aegis Extinction Rebellion (XR) - a global movement which seeks to persuade governments to act justly on climate change and ecological emergency - has hosted a pre-COP27, in partnership with Bridge-that-Gap Initiative, to galvanize the campaign against climate change, as the the 27th Conference of Parties slated for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt kicks off. In an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ACCORD, one the coordinators of the event in Kaduna metropolis, Mr Zinta Akpoko, revealed that COP27, Egypt could become a turning point of the campaign, given that forerunners of the conference have since pledged to relentlessly push to prioritize climate financing for developing nations. "The effect of climate change is very evident and we need to be very frank by telling the truth about the inherent dangers tha...

Outcry over a Woman's Inhumanity

DANGWA DANJUMA F ollowing intense investigation and reports by BREKETE FAMILY a flagship radio programme on Human Rights Radio and Television station focusing on human rights abuse, on how Deborah Babaji Longs, a personal assistant to Mrs Mariam Ahmodu Ali, spent three days in a dog’s cage without food or water, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested the wife of former People’s Democratic Party National Chairman and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Col. Ahmodu Ali (rtd). The story of Deborah Babaji Longs, who worked as Mariam’s personal assistant, featured on Human Rights Radio and Television aka ‘Berekete Family’ on Saturday March 26, 2022 following a report of her alleged imprisonment by Mariam Ahmodu Ali. Narrating her ordeal, Deborah told Brekete Family under oath that Col. Ahmodou Ali, his two daughters and a son-inlaw witnessed the life threatening humiliation and blows meted out to her by Mrs Ali in the middle of their living room in their Abu...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog