Story by: Benjamin Abugri, Daniel Peprah & Sophia Amoah (FARA) Accra, Ghana
The Virtual Kick-off workshop of the second edition of the KM4AgD 2022, took place on the 10th of June 2022 in lieu of the Challenge and Conference themed; Strengthening the African Knowledge Ecosystem for achieving & Sustaining the CAADP Malabo targets 2025. Mr Benjamin Abugri, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa’s Knowledge Management Learning & Communications Cluster Lead Specialist moderated the workshop on behalf of the [i]CAADP-X Pillar 4 Institutions Knowledge Management (KM) Working Group. The KM working group members took turns to introduce all twenty-five participants for the 2022 three-month challenge, who have been competitively selected from fifteen countries across Africa to all the over 160 participants who joined the workshop.
The other members of the KM Working Group are Mr Andri Raso of AFAAS, Ms Bridget Kakuwa of CCARDESA, Mr Ben Moses Illakut of ASARECA, and Mr. Amadou Ngaido of CORAF Mr. Michael Victor represented the One CGIAR to introduce the seven participants from the CG Centres.
From Left Dr. Andreas Brandner, K4DP – Ms Bridget Kakuwa, CCARDESA – Mr Benjamin Abugri, FARA
In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of FARA, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, acknowledged the KM4AgD Challenge as the lighthouse project for a knowledge-based development in Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) in Africa. He touched on the achievements of the previously trained and certified Knowledge Managers from the 2021 KM4AgD Challenge, one of which being the Accra Declaration on the KM4AgD agenda for Africa and the production of National Knowledge Management Policies and organizational strategies for over 20 National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems. He mentioned that the KM4AgD 2022 Challenge aims to improve the capture, dissemination and use of knowledge in African agriculture and expressed that “FARA, AFAAS, ASARECA, CCARDESA and CORAF are committed to deploying the KM4AgD Challenge and invite key partners and other key stakeholders within Africa’s Agricultural Innovation System to join in sustaining this initiative.
” He expressed his appreciation to the One CGIAR for joining hands already in this journey. Dr, Aggrey Agumya, the Director for Research and Innovations at FARA expressed appreciation to the leaders of the CAADP-XP4 institutions for showing strong commitment and invited the Executive Directors to give their remarks and goodwill messages. The Executive Director of ASARECA, Dr. Enock Warinda, who is also chair of the Advisory Council, in his remarks, underscored that “ASARECA recognizes that improved management and access to up-to-date knowledge and information is central to making informed decisions and in taking action” and encouraged all participants to get the best out of the challenge. The Director for Research and Innovation in CORAF, Dr. Emmanuel Njukwe speaking on behalf of the Executive Director, affirmed that CORAF is prepared to promote knowledge management not only in the CORAF region of work but across the partnership. On his part, Dr. Cliff Dlamini, Executive Director of CCARDESA, highlighted that organizations that prioritize knowledge management thrive more than those that do not. He re-echoed CCARDESA’s strong belief that the KM4AgD challenge would improve knowledge translation processes.
from left; Marc Ghislain Bappa Se, AFAAS – Cameroun Bridget Kakuwa MSc Information & Knowledge Manager at CCARDESA, Paul; Atsu Agbemenya YPARD Africa – Ghana
In his incisive remarks, the Executive Director of AFAAS, Dr. Silim Nahdy, mentioned the fallacy of a single entity’s ability to manage information and emphasized the relevance of partnerships in the management of knowledge. On his part, Mr. Victor Michael, Head of Communications and Knowledge Management at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and speaking on behalf of the One CGIAR, affirmed the relevance of knowledge management in the dissemination of implicit and explicit information. Dr. Sarah Cumming, a Director at the Knowledge for Development Partnership (K4DP), reiterated the importance of partnerships in delivering improved knowledge management outputs. She reminded participants that these partnerships are not achieved within the three-month period but must be mainstreamed and sustained.
On behalf of the donors, Dr. Amin Belhamissi, the Technical Specialist at IFAD, acknowledged how Africa possesses great amounts of knowledge, and affirmed IFAD and the European Commission’s unflinching support for the KM4AgD initiative through the CAADP-XP4 programme. The KM4AgD Challenge is a joint activity under the CAADP-XP4 programme with funding support from the European Commission (EC) administered by IFAD. The overall objective of the CAADP-XP4 programme is to enable agricultural research and innovation, including extension services, to contribute effectively to food and nutrition security, economic development, and climate mitigation in Africa. Specifically, the annual challenge seeks to build appropriate capacities, establish communities of practice for Knowledge Management and strengthen the knowledge ecosystem to accelerate the achievement of the CAADP Malabo goals by 2025 and the SDGs by 2030.
It is implemented through an integrated, strategic, educational, and transformational approach. During the maiden edition in 2021, thirty (30) participants from 20 countries who successfully completed all requirements of the 3-month challenge were awarded as “Knowledge Managers for Sustainable Development” jointly by the CAADP-XP4 Partners, K4DP and Partner Universities (Makerere University & International University of Namibia), and GFAR (FAO). Again, twenty (20) National Knowledge Management Policies, twenty-six (26) organizational Knowledge Management Strategies, and ten (10) thematic Knowledge briefs were developed and are currently being mainstreamed at the country level.
Group photo from the Maiden Edition of KM4AgD Conference held in Accra, Ghana (2021)
The 2022 Challenge which is the second edition, starts on June 11 and spread over to September 9. Findings from the Challenge will be shared through a Continental KM4AgD Conference to be held in Accra, Ghana during the week of September 12 to 16, 2022. Look out to the call for registration.
For highlights of the 2021 Challenge, please watch
[i] The CAADP XP4 consortium comprises FARA, the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF)
The African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), in conjunction with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), have signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration on improving Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.
The Executive Directors of the three organizations: Dr Silim Nahdy (AFAAS), Dr Enock Warinda (ASARECA), and Dr Cliff Dlamini (CCARDESA), signed the Tripartite MoU during a strategic meeting held at Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, on 3rd June 2022. The three organizations agreed to develop a partnership strategy and collaborative framework to operationalize the MoU, whose implementation will be coordinated by Dr Cliff Dlamini. The signing ceremony was officiated and supported by the Chairpersons of the Boards of Directors: Mr Paul Fatch (AFAAS), Dr Geoffrey Mkamilo (ASARECA); and selected Board Members of the three organizations: Dr Jeff Mutimba (AFAAS), Prof. Patience Mshenga (ASARECA), Dr Catherine Senkoro (CCARDESA), and Mr Isaac Chiundira (CCARDESA).
The purpose of the MoU is to provide a framework for strong partnership and collaboration among the three organizations to enable them to serve their clients with distinction both individually and collectively and enhance synergy and harmonized programming of AR4D initiatives.
The three organizations agreed to implement cooperation initiatives in the following areas:
Commissioning of joint studies to inform policy and practice and sharing results in relevant fora;
Development of joint programmes and strategies for agricultural research for development and extension services to enhance impact at scale;
Undertaking joint planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, sharing of lessons learnt and responding to issues relating to projects that are being implemented jointly by the Parties;
Undertaking joint advocacy and influence for desired AR4D policy changes;
Conducting institutional consultations to improve operational and economic efficiency;
Sharing of capacities, technical information and general information using established mechanisms among the Parties; and
Convening joint proposal writing and resource mobilization.
The MoU will remain valid for ten years and will be extended further as agreed among the Parties. Amendments to the MoU will be made as and when necessary.
The uptake of research evidence in the policy-making process has become the front burner of global discourse on approaches and strategies for development. It is therefore not surprising that international development agencies and other research funders, are placing increasing emphasis on the need to communicate research evidence to policy makers.
This has resulted in a flurry of activities aimed at supporting knowledge management and communication of research evidence to policymakers. For example, a study commissioned by UNESCO in Tanzania in 2002 assessed the research–policy linkages of science-related ministries and their research organizations, with the objective to understand mechanisms for interacting with policymakers, and users of research outputs. In the agricultural sector in Ghana, the USAID Agriculture Policy Support Project is being implemented with the purpose of increasing the capacity of the Government of Ghana (GOG), the private sector, and Civil Society Organizations to contrivance evidence-based policy formation, research, and advocacy implementation, and rigorous monitoring and evaluation of agricultural programs, implemented under the Medium-term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan (METASIP).
While efforts are being made to devise mechanisms for bridging research policy gap, it is important to note that policymaking is inherently a political process. Hence, many factors jostle with evidence to take center stage in policy formation, at an individual level and organizational level. For example, time constraints will affect the mechanisms available to mobilize.
On May 27th, 2022, the Ghana KM4AgD Implementation Joint Team in collaboration with the CSIR-Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (CSIR-INSTI) and Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA ), partnering with The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), held knowledge talks with leaders and CEREMONY FOR THE DONATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT in the CSIR-INSTI conference room towards strengthening Capacities, outreach and Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development (KM4AgD) Agenda in Ghana.
Through TAAT Africa initiative, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), procured audiovisual equipment with smartphones for strengthening capacity for technology, Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development Agenda delivery, and outreach in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Rwanda, Mali, DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. This equipment comprises five Samsung Galaxy A5l smartphones, one hand-held projector (DCS 1000) with accessories (solar panel, Bluetooth speaker, keyboard, power bank, tripod stand and a projector screen).
During the opening remarks for the ceremony, Dr. Seth Manteaw (Ph.D.)Director, of CSIR – INSTI Ghana noted, “There is no doubt that Internet penetration will continue to grow among farm communities. What is perhaps more important for EAS providers, funders, researchers and universities is to provide enterprise mechanisms using the Internet that maximize all technology use. Essentially, the Internet remains the cornerstone because it can connect the more educated participants in EAS throughout the world so that these participants do a better job working with farmers. Moreover, Benjamin Abugri , Lead specialist for Knowledge Management , Learning and Communication at FARA also stated that “The researchers and policymakers are coming up with a variety of solutions to help farmers to manage risks but the outreach and promotion of these solutions need a well-structured and effective medium. In this context, agricultural extension services play a very crucial role in bridging these gaps, through effective capacity building and awareness creation as highlighted in the #KM4AgD agenda. The KM4AgD agenda emphasizes the need to curb Fake News and ensure Quality information standards in empowering stakeholders to take informed action.
“Digital extension methods have received renewed attention with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on our empirical research, videos and podcasts used to deliver information and advice to farmers are key in the effort to make agriculture attractive to the youth and create more jobs. We at the extension directorate of MOFA, are most appreciative of the toolbox equipment, which presents an interactive process in which information, knowledge and skills, relevant for development are exchanged between farmers, extension/advisory services are disseminate” Mr. Paul Siameh, Director extension directorate of MOFA, noted.
It is worth recognizing the Ghana KM4AgD’s team resilience in assisting farmers and other stakeholders, to manage these risks through KM4AgD Agenda tools box need closer collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation officers at MoFA, Mr. Patrick Twumasi mentioned. For example, extension services can effectively disseminate information about climate change, and promote technologies that can help farmers to mitigate various on-farm and off-farm risks. With the above background, KM4AgD Ghana champions call for institutionalizing and mainstreaming a learning framework to improve sectoral learning.
All the participants from these institutions are committed to KM4AgD agenda, in educating and training using this AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT for sustainable and relevant knowledge dissemination practices, in the field of duty. They recognize the support by the African Development Bank through the TAAT programme.
Please find the Accra Declaration on the KM4AgD Agenda for Africa published at this link: https://lnkd.in/gR9BjBuy
Meetings in Abidjan focused on strengthening Africa’s agricultural research and innovation in the context of the One CGIAR reform
A series of high-level meetings in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire, has delivered progress towards a strengthened alignment between CGIAR and Africa’s research and innovation agenda, with further commitment from CGIAR to build capacity in African institutions to respond to growing threats to food systems.
The high-level consultations, dubbed Abidjan I and Abidjan II, saw speakers articulate how CGIAR can continue to better support African priorities during its transition to a ‘One’ CGIAR. The One CGIAR reform will position the organization to deliver more impact for farmers through a holistic ‘systems’ approach to research and innovation.
“It is clear that One CGIAR will play a pivotal role in the transformation and improvement of the research and agricultural system of the continent, enhancing performance and responsiveness,” said S.E.M. Kobenan Adjoumani, Minister of Agriculture of Côte D’Ivoire and guest of honor at the high-level event. “I have no doubt that One CGIAR, in its design, will capture key concerns of Africa and strengthen Africa’s research institutions.”
H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission (AUC), said, “The outcome of this meeting is very important. It will help to shape the terrain for the African agricultural research and innovation agenda and architecture for years to come… We highly value the contribution that CGIAR has made in over 50 years since the Centers were created.”
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), called on CGIAR to support, engage, and prioritize the needs and concerns of Africa. “The work of the CGIAR Centers in Africa is critical for achieving food security on the continent,” he told participants of the Abidjan II meeting, addressing CGIAR. “We are just eight years away from 2030, and Africa must achieve zero hunger by then. Thus, your reforms must hold you accountable to targets that Africa seeks to achieve.”
Dr. Adesina highlighted the importance of delivering technologies to farmers through programs such as the AfDB-financed Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program. He also called for the One CGIAR Centers based in Africa to remain strong and be considered as key pillars in CGIAR’s reform. In addition, he highlighted the need for greater African representation in CGIAR’s senior leadership, and for the One CGIAR transition to institutionally strengthen Africa’s national and regional agricultural research centers.
Dr. Marco Ferroni, Chair of the CGIAR System Board, said, “The purpose of the CGIAR reform is to deliver more for Africa and the rest of the world. All One CGIAR Centers will be strengthened as we invest in CGIAR as a distributed organization, joining capabilities to deliver research and innovations that transform food systems and support farmers.”
The Abidjan meetings are part of a series of consultations designed to review and shape the One CGIAR transition. They follow calls from partners for CGIAR to deepen engagement with country and regional stakeholders. This effort includes the formation of a high-level advisory panel, the development of a CGIAR engagement plan, and the roll-out of its Engagement Framework for Partnerships & Advocacy – Toward Greater Impact. In addition, CGIAR’s leadership team recently agreed a set of Senior Leadership Team Commitments designed to clarify aspects of the transition, including the continued important role of One CGIAR Centers and their Director Generals.
Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), said, “The transition to the One CGIAR is the most far-reaching reorganization the CGIAR has undertaken. By the same token, it offers all of us the best opportunity for the agricultural research and innovation system in Africa to institutionally retool, rewire, reengineer itself for large scale impact. And in this regard, African partners do welcome these reforms.”
“The [Abidjan I] meeting improved the understanding of the One CGIAR leadership of both the perspectives and concerns of the African practice, it also provided a platform for dialogue and options for resolving these concerns – and there’s been considerable progress,” Dr. Akinbamijo added.
CGIAR has a continent-wide presence with all Centers engaged in research on the ground to find solutions for African smallholders in tandem with a wide network of partners. Regional Directors, three of which are in Africa, provide a single entry-point for engagement – and clear mechanisms to respond to locally relevant opportunities, priorities and needs.
Participants of the meetings acknowledged the challenging external environment. Africa faces increasingly complex and interconnected, systemic threats to its food security, including climate change, pandemics, and the impact of the conflict in Ukraine.
“To stay relevant and to work more effectively with all our partners to meet these challenges head-on, CGIAR is evolving to respond to the changing needs of the countries we work with,” said Dr. Claudia Sadoff, Convener of CGIAR’s Executive Management Team and Managing Director, Research Delivery and Impact. “The CGIAR reform can be a springboard that will strengthen Africa’s agriculture research and innovation system.”
A formal communiqué to capture key outcomes from the meetings and recommendations for strengthening Africa’s agricultural research and innovation in the context of One CGIAR reform will be issued in the coming weeks.
The consultations were hosted by AfDB, in partnership with FARA, AUC, and CGIAR. Participating organizations included the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), AUDA-NEPAD, and sub-regional research organizations, CORAF, ASARECA, CCARDESA, NASRO, and the Africa Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS).
The initiative will provide 20 million African smallholder farmers with certified seeds and will increase access to fertilizers and enable them to rapidly produce 38 million tons of food
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s board of directors announced that it approved a $1.5 billion facility to help African countries avert a looming food crisis in the continent.
In a statement issued by the bank on Friday, the bank said with the disruption of food supplies arising from the Russia-Ukraine war, Africa now faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tons of food, especially wheat, maize, and soybeans mostly imported from both countries.
“The African Development Bank’s $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility is an unprecedented comprehensive initiative to support smallholder farmers in filling the food shortfall,” the bank’s statement read.
It said African farmers urgently need high-quality seeds and inputs before the planting season begins in May to immediately boost food supplies.
According to the statement, the initiative will provide 20 million African smallholder farmers with certified seeds and that it will increase access to agricultural fertilizers and enable them to rapidly produce 38 million tons of food.
“This is a $12 billion increase in food production in just two years,” the bank said.
Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB group president was quoted to have said: “Food aid cannot feed Africa. Africa does not need bowls in hand. Africa needs seeds in the ground, and mechanical harvesters to harvest bountiful food produced locally. Africa will feed itself with pride for there is no dignity in begging for food.”
He said the African Emergency Food Production Facility has benefited from stakeholder consultations, including those with fertilizer producers and separately with African Union agriculture and finance ministers earlier this month.
Mr Adesina explained that the ministers agreed to implement reforms to address the systemic hurdles that prevent modern input markets from performing effectively.
He said the price of wheat has soared in Africa by over 45 per cent since the war in Ukraine began.
“Fertilizer prices have gone up by 300%, and the continent faces a fertilizer shortage of 2 million metric tons. Many African countries have already seen price hikes in bread and other food items. If this deficit is not made up, food production in Africa will decline by at least 20% and the continent could lose over $11 billion in food production value, ”the AfDB president said.
Potentials
The African Development Bank’s $1.5 billion package will lead to the production of 11 million tons of wheat; 18 million tons of maize; 6 million tons of rice; and 2.5 million tons of soybeans, the statement said.
It said the initiative will provide 20 million farmers with certified seeds, fertilizer, and extension services and that it will also support market growth and post-harvest management.
“The African Development Bank will provide fertilizer to smallholder farmers across Africa over the next four farming seasons, using its convening influence with major fertilizer manufacturers, loan guarantees, and other financial instruments,” the AfDB board said.
The statement highlighted that the facility will also create a platform to advocate for critical policy reforms to solve the structural issues that impede farmers from receiving modern inputs.
This, it said, includes strengthening national institutions and overseeing input markets and that the facility has a structure for working with multilateral development partners.
“This will ensure rapid alignment and implementation, enhanced reach, and effective impact. It will increase technical preparedness and responsiveness. In addition, it includes short, medium, and long-term measures to address both the urgent food crisis and the long-term sustainability and resilience of Africa’s food systems,” the bank said.
In her remarks, Beth Dunford, AfDB vice president for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, said: “The Africa Emergency Food Production Facility builds on lessons learned from the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa Response to Covid-19 program.”
The program, she said, has provided a strategic roadmap to support Africa’s agriculture sector and safeguard food security against the pandemic’s impact.
Over the past three years, the AfDB said its Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation initiative has delivered heat-tolerant wheat varieties to 1.8 million farmers in seven countries, increasing wheat production by 2.7 million metric tons worth $840 million.
Long-term sustainability plan
The statement noted that a five-year ramp-up phase will follow the two-year African Emergency Food Production Facility, with the view to build on previous gains and strengthen self-sufficiency in wheat, maize, and other staple crops, as well as expand access to agricultural fertilizers.
It said the five-year phase will deliver seeds and inputs to 40 million farmers under the “Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program”.
The statement said in April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, appointed Mr Adesina to a select Steering Committee of the Global Crisis Response Group.
It noted that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations recently invited Mr Adesina to make a presentation about the African Emergency Food Production Facility.
“The Global Alliance for Food Security spearheaded by the Government of Germany provides an excellent forum for the African Emergency Food Program Facility, which is part of a coordinated and collective effort by development partners and countries to accelerate food production in the short term while remaining focused on medium- and longer-term actions to build resilience.” the statement added.
Nigeria is full of stories that generate excuses not to develop our potential into wealth. I remember the wheat story in Nigeria dating back to the Second Republic (1979 -1983) when Alhaji Shehu Shagari was the president of Nigeria. The country started wheat production on the same land currently being used for off-season vegetables; this effort grew until millers refused to buy locally grown wheat and insisted on importing it because of the price and quality.
The day’s government then abruptly opened the gate for importation and drenched the Nigerian wheat farmers into poverty, spending a considerable percentage of our GDP on wheat importation.
Fast-forward the story to the era of Dr. Akin Adesina, Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria (2011–2015), when the Africa Development Bank-backed the Support to Agricultural Research Development for the strategic crop (SARD-SC), with wheat as one of the crops supported for Nigeria. The minister gave his good backing to the project and supported the production of seeds of improved wheat varieties. Kudos to the great scientists from ICARDA and their unwavering support of the Lake Chad Research Institute to test many varieties with the potential for higher yields.
I recall my participation and the support of my organization, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), to provide training on establishing an agricultural innovation platform for wheat in several countries, including Nigeria. The efforts grew with success but hit a snag when the millers came up again with the same reason given in 1983 not to stop the importation of wheat to the country. At that time, Nigeria spent about four billion US dollars importing wheat annually, which translates to two billion Naira per day based on the exchange rate of N360 to $1. Popular data indicates the cost of importing wheat in 2021 amounted to N1.29 trillion.All research efforts and evidence were suppressed, possibly due to issues of trade balance with countries buying our oil and selling wheat to us. Nigeria lost the opportunity to push through its wheat revolution and opted for the importation of poverty for the farmers; we position ourselves as vulnerable people to food shocks around the globe. The vigor around the wheat revolution in Nigeria has since reduced, although the AfDB came around again through the support of the wheat compact in its TAAT project in Nigeria. `
Now that wheat has become the golden food of our time due to the Russia and Ukraine wars, it presents a much-needed opportunity for Nigeria to optimize its wheat game and increase local production to reduce the import bill. The logic is clear; the exporting countries may stop selling wheat to African countries due to a shortage in supply already. The price of wheat has gone up to $430 per ton and will most likely increase due to the associated increase in fertilizer costs. It is glaringly obvious that the domestic price of wheat-based foods will hit an all-time high in Nigeria.
Bread is everyone’s food in Nigeria; if this becomes unaffordable, the pressure will divert to other commodities, and its effect on food inflation will be very harmful. The excuse of the millers about the wheat produced in Nigeria has been debunked by research, save for the need to establish the aggregators and possibly provide destoning facilities, to produce clean grains for flour production.
A functional system needs to create a shock-absorbing facility for its food and nutritional security; it should have a stability mechanism, to prevent its food system from falling due to every external issue. The resolve of the current government to eradicate the importation of wheat by 2023, as a legacy of the Buhari government is laudable; it does not only bring smiles to our faces but gives a note of hope for Nigeria’s food and nutritional security.
This represents an unprecedented political will and must be followed by concrete action.
The Nigerian government must rise to the occasion and invest heavily in our wheat production. Stakeholder consultation will be the first step toward a long-term change, followed by sound investments, starting from the current production domain and spreading gradually to other regions, where wheat can be grown profitably.
It is known that the government system is never quick due to lengthy processes, red-tapes, and bureaucracy; nonetheless, government support is essential to have successful interventions. To catch the moment and establish a pathway for gains, the farmers’ association, especially the wheat growers’ group, needs to wake up the sleeping wheat innovation platforms for action, to deliver the Nigeria wheat revolution.
About the Writer
[1] Wole Fatunbi (PhD) is a front-line farming systems agronomist. He currently works as the Senior Technical Cluster Leader and the Innovation systems specialist with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Accra, Ghana.
