By KHADIJAT LAWAL

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and the Small Scale Women Farmers Association of Nigeria (SWOFON) have said that a total N8.187bn are part of the frivolous, inappropriate and wasteful expenditure in the Agriculture allocation of the 2021 budget.

They said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a joint media briefing on the ‘Review of the 2021 Agriculture Budget estimates’.

Speaking on behalf of the CSJ, Public Finance Officer of the organisation, Fidelis Onyejegbu and Program Officer, Good Governance, Victor Emejuiwe, said the savings from such frivolities should be channeled to the needs of small scale women farmers (SSWF) and other pressing needs in the sector.

Onyejegbu said that the budget should provide gender friendly machinery and equipment such as hand sprayers, power tillers, ploughs, planters among others, especially low cost and locally fabricated equipment which can be easily maintained by local artisans.

According to him, the N5bn deployed to this line item at an average cost of NN250,000 will fetch 20,000 units.

“The allocation to Agriculture as a key growth driver of the Nigerian economy should be increased to not less than 50 per cent of the Malabo/Maputo commitment of 10 per cent of overall budget. This means 5 per cent of the overall budget which comes up to N654.12bn.

“Rework the budget in accordance with the policy, plan budget continuum to reflect the full implementation of the Nigeria gender policy and the national gender policy in agriculture and other applicable national and international standards,” he said.

On his part, Emejuiwe said that considering the number of agencies in the Agriculture Ministry, and their mandates and programme the bulk of the capital capital vote of the ministry should be allocated to the respective agencies.

“Research institutes should be limited to specific assignments within their mandates to justify their continued receipt of public funds,” he said.

Also speaking, the National President of SWOFON, Mrs. Mary Ishaya Atan urgedthe federal government to increase support of extension services for small holder women farmers in their communities.

She also wants a local government committee to tackle the insecurity situation especially the herders/farmers crisis, kidnapping and banditry that has made it near impossible for farmers to work on their farms.

She said that this would save the country from the impeding food crisis. (Daily Trust)