Border closure policy an emotional decision, unsustainable ― IITA DG

Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nteranya Sanginga has described the decision of the federal government to close the nation’s land borders as emotional and unsustainable.

Rather than closing borders in a bid to control indiscriminate importation and related fraudulent practices, Sanginga said the federal government should evolve policies to boost food production and increase investment in agriculture.

Sanginga who stated this in his office during a conversation with CARE journalists on three days training at IITA, Ibadan, regarded the border closure policy as one that will be short-termed.

Speaking, he avowed that the nation’s capacity to produce food for self-sufficiency and for export would only be achieved if federal and state governments increase their budgetary allocation from the about three per cent to at least 10 per cent.

While expressing hope that the border closure policy will encourage Nigerians to produce more, Sanginga stressed the need for government to support youth involvement in agribusiness, else the African continent will rely on Europe, Asia and other continents for food by 2050.

“If I were President of Nigeria, I will never take such decision in the way it was taken. In my view, it is emotional. You can control the border without closing it.

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“Yes, you can’t allow those kinds of imports to disturb your market here. For example, talking about rice, Nigeria has the capacity to produce all rice and it can export. It can even encourage countries like Benin and Togo to produce if it doesn’t have enough because the market is really big.

“For me, that policy is short-termed, emotional and won’t go far enough. Hopefully, it will encourage people to produce much here.

“In terms of investment, Nigeria today is investing only 2.8 per cent of its budget in agriculture. Three years ago, I was invited by the Senate to speak on agriculture. I was very brutal to say to them that if they invest three per cent, they shouldn’t expect any miracle.

The Malabu declaration says 10 per cent, and it’s at that point you begin to have very good returns on investment.

“I was with Prime Minister of Ethiopia, three weeks ago, and he was telling the people how that policy has helped Ethiopia a lot by first eliminating famine. But they are getting additional money to invest in roads from agriculture.

“If you start producing food in Nigeria, you will be even exporting to neighbouring countries. I advised President of the Democratic Republic of Congo that if he wants to succeed, agriculture is the way to go and use the money got from mineral resources to fund agriculture.

“So he has the policy to move from five per cent in the first year to eight per cent this year and his objective in three years time is to move to 15 per cent of investment.

“You can do agriculture if you have good leadership and that should be the same in Nigeria here.

“So, if we don’t get young people involved in agriculture, this continent is going to be at the mercy of other countries because, by 2050, agriculture will be a $1trillion business and that business will be taken by Americans, Chinese and non-Africans,” Sanginga said.