Afrigather 
By Baba El-Yakubu
Pricey Mr. Vice President, Kashim Shettima,
I watched your latest interview granted to the BBC Hausa. Your response to the Starvation Protests appeared honest, real, and frank. My most vital takeaway is your fervent want to urgently convoke a summit of northern governors, the enterprise neighborhood, and different stakeholders to search out options to our present challenges. You asserted that northern politicians should keep away from the tendency to sabotage the efforts of others and invited them to unite for the joint prosperity of the entire area. In these vital occasions, Nigeria particularly the north; stands at a crossroads. Unity is essentially the most pressing requirement for the purposeful management you’re bringing to the area. Our beloved area, wealthy in range and potential, is grappling with profound challenges that demand pressing and decisive motion. As a pacesetter entrusted with the hopes and aspirations of tens of millions, your function is pivotal in shaping the way forward for the area. On the finish of the interview, you made a daring assertion that “Northern Nigeria has causes to be poor”. Intuitively, all of us agree that his assertion is true. However, within the counterintuitive actual world of Nigeria; everyone knows that the area is among the many poorest on the planet. This letter is written not solely as a response to your interview however as a name for a type of visionary management that our nation and area so desperately want. I consider that is your second.
At any time when there are daunting challenges, we all the time increase our arms up skyward for inspiration; however in at this time’s northern Nigeria, I consider, a very powerful answer is down on the earth. In my opinion, agriculture is our short-term path to salvation. Due to this fact, the proposed summit and subsequent interventions ought to deal with agriculture and value-addition to agricultural produce. Mr. Vice President, to attain something impactful, the brand new interventions should keep away from the lapses related to the earlier authorities program. As an illustration, the Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP) was the primary agricultural intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari’s authorities. Its fundamental thrust was development and productiveness. Sadly, none was impactfully achieved, commensurate with the massive sum of money invested. ABP scheme repayments default charge was estimated to be 76% based on Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF). The default was related to the truth that lots of the recipients of the loans weren’t chosen primarily based on goal standards. To keep away from this problem, I counsel adopting and scaling up enterprise fashions just like homegrown and private-sector-driven approaches which are already profitable. We may be taught from case examples of profitable reform in different nations.
The primary good mannequin to think about is a Nigerian firm known as Babban Gona (BG). It was based in 2012 by Mr. Kola Masha. Its fundamental goal is lowering unemployment in Nigeria by means of selling agriculture. It began modestly with 100 members in Kaduna State. Up to now, it has operations in 15 states within the north and has impacted over 850,000 smallholder farmers. They’ve a internet earnings of about double the nationwide common. BG’s success is because of its easy enterprise mannequin. It engages smallholder farmers by means of 4 key companies to drive their success. These are (i) Coaching and Schooling, (ii) Monetary Credit score, (iii) Agricultural Enter, and (iv) Harvesting & Advertising and marketing Help. Much like the profitable method of the Nobel Prize-winning Grameen Financial institution of Bangladesh, BG organizes the farmers into teams of three – 5 members. The coaching/training, credit score, and enter are all given on a bunch fairly than on a person foundation. BG members have a mortgage reimbursement charge estimated to be at about 98%. Importantly, different group members are chargeable for repaying if a member defaults. Due to this fact, utilizing a easy mannequin, Babban Gona achieves what Anchor Borrower’s Programme sophisticated method did not ship. BG has traders each home and overseas. It focuses primarily on maize manufacturing. Northern Nigeria is endowed with intensive stretches of fertile land appropriate for a wide range of crops. Other than maize, the area’s semi-arid to arid local weather is especially conducive to the cultivation of different grains comparable to millet and sorghum, in addition to legumes like groundnuts and cowpeas. Moreover, areas with riverine soils, comparable to these close to the Niger and Benue rivers, are perfect for rice and sugarcane manufacturing. For instance, based on 2020 information from the Nationwide Sugar Improvement Council, Nigeria consumed about 1.5m tons of sugarcane. Virtually all of it was imported. Beneath your management, particular intervention funds – from Federal, State, Native Governments, and personal traders – could also be invested in BG or related corporations in Nigeria. The BG mannequin works very effectively. It could be used to cowl the manufacturing of different crops and legumes. There isn’t any time to recreate the wheel.
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Mr. Vice President, I need to emphasize that agriculture in northern Nigeria shouldn’t be restricted to major manufacturing; the event of agro-processing industries is crucial so as to add worth to uncooked agricultural merchandise and generate additional employment. Processing agricultural merchandise domestically not solely will increase their shelf life but in addition enhances their marketability and creates further earnings streams for farmers. Let me offer you one other superb mannequin to think about. It’s a firm known as Psaltry Worldwide Restricted (PIL), situated in Iseyin, Oyo State. About two years in the past, I visited the corporate for 2 days. I gained first-hand info on the its profitable operations. It was established in 2005 by Mrs Yemisi Iranloye. Initially, it targeted on promoting cassava produce, primarily starch. PIL established its 20 MT/day starch manufacturing facility in 2012 and put in a further manufacturing line of 30 MT/day in 2015. Its outgrower applications contain as much as 5,000 farm households. Along with different sources, PIL ensures sufficient provide to its 50 MT/day of put in capability processing plant. Its fundamental focus is to boost the cassava worth chain by producing high-quality industrial cassava derivatives, together with high-quality cassava flour (HCCF), high-quality food-grade cassava starch, and sorbitol. The PIL new sorbitol manufacturing facility is the primary of its type in Africa and the second largest globally. This manufacturing facility has the aptitude to supply 25 tons of sorbitol each day. Its shoppers embrace corporations within the pharmaceutical, private care, meals, and drinks sectors. Primarily based on the corporate’s actions; its neighborhood has been remodeled from poverty to prosperity inside a short while. Not too long ago, the corporate introduced the 2024 scholarship scheme for youngsters of farmers in Iseyin Native Authorities and Ibarapa space, Oyo state.
This can be a lovely success story of cassava processing. Different produce could also be thought-about for various components of northern Nigeria – relying on native circumstances. For instance, the institution of rice mills in Kano and Kebbi states has created jobs, lowered post-harvest losses, and improved the standard of rice produced within the area. Equally, groundnut processing vegetation will be established to supply groundnut oil, muffins, and different by-products, including worth to one of many area’s most vital crops. The primary requirement for fulfillment is to make the federal government intervention to be private-sector pushed.
Sir, one other space that wants cautious planning is the gradual adaptation of contemporary agricultural equipment. Right here, additionally we might be taught from different case examples of reforms. Given this pure endowment, northern Nigeria must be a pacesetter in agricultural manufacturing. Nonetheless, outdated farming methods, lack of entry to trendy inputs, and insufficient infrastructure have hindered the complete realization of this potential. Most farmers within the area nonetheless use rudimentary instruments like hoes and cutlasses, which restrict the dimensions of their operations and the effectivity of their labor. By addressing these challenges by means of focused agricultural reforms, the area can harness its land and local weather to supply sufficient meals to feed Nigerian inhabitants and generate a surplus for export. A take a look at agricultural reforms in different nations offers priceless classes for northern Nigeria. As an illustration, the Inexperienced Revolution in India in the course of the Sixties and Seventies remodeled the nation from a food-deficient nation to a food-surplus one. This was achieved by means of the introduction of high-yield selection (HYV) seeds, elevated use of fertilizers, improved irrigation, use of mechanization, and authorities assist for farmers. Mechanization—introducing tractors, plows, and different equipment—can drastically enhance productiveness. Based on a latest report, 47% of agricultural operations in India are mechanized. It’s greater in nations comparable to China, with 60%, and Brazil, with 75%. This is essential in bettering farm productiveness. It has been proven that for each 1% enhance within the degree of mechanization, the yields of all crops, grain crops, and money crops enhance by 1.2, 1.6, and 0.4%, respectively. Equally, Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation technique has been extensively thought to be a hit. By specializing in smallholder farmers, bettering entry to inputs, and investing in infrastructure, Ethiopia has made vital strides in meals safety and poverty discount. These examples reveal that with the proper insurance policies and assist, agricultural reforms can result in substantial enhancements in meals safety and financial improvement.
The introduction of contemporary irrigation methods, comparable to drip and sprinkler programs, also can revolutionize agriculture in northern Nigeria. The area’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture makes it susceptible to the erratic rainfall patterns attributable to local weather change. Primarily based on latest estimate, the irrigated space in the entire nation is barely 5.4%. That is too low. For instance, in India; 51% of the agricultural space cultivating grains is roofed by irrigation. By investing in irrigation infrastructure, northern Nigeria can guarantee year-round farming, thereby growing meals manufacturing and lowering the chance of meals shortages. The adoption of contemporary farming methods additionally extends to using improved seeds, fertilizers, and pest management measures. As an illustration, the introduction of drought-resistant and high-yield crop varieties may help farmers deal with the area’s climatic challenges whereas boosting crop yields.
Mr. Vice President, I agree with you that Northern Nigeria’s poverty is just not a results of an absence of sources however fairly a failure to completely exploit its agricultural and different potentials. With its huge arable land, favorable local weather, and enormous inhabitants depending on farming, the area has all of the elements wanted for agricultural prosperity. By studying from profitable agricultural reforms elsewhere and specializing in modernization, mechanization, and worth addition, northern Nigeria can obtain meals safety and financial development. There isn’t any purpose for poverty to persist in a area so wealthy in agricultural potential—the long run lies in unlocking this wealth by means of strategic reforms and investments. As you’re conscious, on the twenty ninth Nigeria Financial Summit in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu introduced an aspirational goal for the Nigerian financial system. It’s anticipated to realize a GDP of $1.0 trillion within the subsequent few years and $3.0 trillion inside a decade. Primarily based on this, I’ve been pondering on an vital query. That’s, how might a northern poor be an energetic participant fairly than a passive observer in reaching this dream? Beneath your purposeful management, the north might remodel Nigeria from a food-deficient nation to a food-surplus one, thereby making a considerable contribution to the GDP. Let me depart you with an exquisite saying from the Roman Thinker Lucius Sereca, “It isn’t as a result of issues are tough that we don’t dare, it’s as a result of we don’t dare that they’re tough”. When you declare to eradicate abject poverty within the north; it should take some years of arduous work, however the dream might be a actuality.
With Salam and greatest needs, I thanks very a lot to your time.
Yours Faithfully
Baba El-Yakubu, PTDF-Chair Professor of Chemical Engineering, Ahmadu Bello College. E mail: [email protected]
