Can Africa feed itself?: Gospel truth according to GSM

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State

BY now, it would appear that I like the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde and his style of leadership. At least, that is what anyone who read my piece published in the Punch and Nigerian Tribune about how he has been transforming infrastructure in the historical city of Ibadan, home of my Alma Mater, the Premier University, will see things.

I don’t have any particular attachment to the Oyo State Governor. I only love his policies and actions, which have proven that when things are done differently, we all can expect different and positive results as opposed to doing the same things the same way and expecting different results. Like Makinde, I also have a soft spot for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the governors of Niger and Borno states. I love administrators, politicians and all individuals who think out of the box and make a clear-cut impact with the responsibilities on their hands.

But what’s my basis for fawning over Makinde? Through some of his actions and policies, the Oyo State governor continues to prove that governance is not rocket science. One of his policies that wowed me recently was the visit of the President of Sierra Leone, Dr Julius Maada Bio to the Fashola Agribusiness Hub. In some of the reports I watched and read, it was said that the Sierra Leonean President might have gone to Fashola with a view to understudying the agribusiness model put in place by Governor Makinde.

While one would not and should not believe everything put out into the media, the news that Fashola Agribusiness Hub has come alive to the point that it could attract the attention of the international community, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), which has reportedly designated the facility as the first Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Nigeria, was an encouraging one.

As a student of the University of Ibadan, I actually used to know about the Fashola Farm Settlement in the 90s. It was on a wide expanse of land connecting Oyo to Iseyin and I happened to pass by and visit it a couple of times on my way to Obasanjo Farms, also close to Iseyin. In those days, it was clear that Fashola’s glorious days were behind it unless the government did something drastic but expected much from successive military administrators, whose times in office were often short.

It was sad to learn that things got even worse at the turn of the millennium, with successive civilian governments failing to scratch the surface towards bringing back the once-glorious farm settlement. Thus, when I read that Governor Makinde had not only resuscitated Fashola Farm Settlement but that he had also upgraded it to an agribusiness hub where about 15 private sector players are operating multi-billion agriculture ventures, some even exporting products processed in the facility, I saw it as a piece of cheery news.

Have I been to Fashola after the said upgrade? No. Do I have to see it to believe it like I did with the stories about Makinde’s infrastructure development drive? No. As a matter of fact, two things that were needed for anyone to see through Makinde government’s claim on agribusiness and to verify whether the acclaim it has been receiving over its agribusiness policy is genuine or not have already happened. The first one was the said designation of Fashola as a SAPZ.

For those who may not know, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones is an AfDB initiative happening across 11 African countries. The Bank, having researched and come to the conclusion that economic agriculture, rather than subsistence farming, remained the only way to take communities in Africa out of poverty, came up with the SAPZ initiative to drive rural communities towards commercial agriculture and food production in order to promote productivity, value addition and private sector involvement in agriculture. This in itself is what agribusiness is about.

Thus, the designation of Fashola Farms as the first SAPZ in Nigeria by the AfDB was an indication that the Oyo State governor must have got something right with his agribusiness policy. Unlike the common sloganeering and grandstanding known with Nigerian politicians, AfDB would always put its mouth where its money is and so, for the Bank to give a nod to Fashola as a transformation centre, meant Governor Makinde has got a pass mark.

The second development that made me give kudos to the Oyo State governor happened when President Bio visited. Apart from the president’s visit calling attention to Oyo State, Mr Makinde also played the role of a good marketer of the African continent and a strong leader, when he said that Africa can feed itself. This statement is a gospel truth that only individuals like Makinde, who has belled the cat in transforming agriculture, can tell to other leaders. I was also happy that Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, was at the event.

For Africa, the decades ahead must be planned for and we must prepare well ahead, especially with different countries of the world assuming a less-friendly stance towards the continent. One of the ways we can hold the ace in world politics and dynamics is through our strength in agriculture. So, it was heartwarming to know that Mr Makinde is a thinker and visionary, who sees things like a leader should. Africa can truly feed itself and also gain advantage in food importation and the journey should have started a long time ago.

However, Makinde should be commended for having started that all-important mission in Oyo State; it is better late than never. It is high time that states in Nigeria began to take a cue from Makinde, by setting the right templates that can encourage more private sector investments in agriculture.

It must be pointed out that while the Federal Government appears to be on a slumber on the potential of agriculture and how it remains the greatest asset the country has, sub-nationals have begun to take the bull by the horn. The trend set by Governor Makinde should be followed by his colleagues. And, for states that can afford to do so, looking for crops of comparative advantages and investing in such can also go a long way. Lagos and Kebbi states started that journey sometimes ago with massive rice cultivation, which they produced into what is called Lake Rice. Whether that initiative is still on or not is unclear to me, but it can be repackaged and made to have impact beyond the two states and across West Africa. It will also be interesting to see Ondo and Ekiti states go back to the base on cocoa production and begin to rake in the billions at this point when cocoa has returned to its glorious days.

While saluting Makinde’s initiative, which has brought AfDB to Oyo’s doorstep, as I learnt that the state government has moved on to building the second agribusiness hub in Eruwa, I will like to advise the Oyo State Governor to ensure that the agribusiness transformation translates into food sufficiency and reduced food prices in his state. I learnt that the companies in Fasola as well as the Psaltery Farms, the largest sorbitol production company in Africa, now have huge needs for cassava such that farmers are smiling to the banks. But how would this impact the common man who buys garri and other foods made with cassava? This is where the governor must be proactive to ensure that the common people do not bear the brunt of private sector investments in agriculture. He can achieve this by insisting that the companies operating from Fashola have a percentage of their farm produce and products sold to local markets. The government can also improve the capacities of smallholder farmers to increase their efforts and improve their yields such that their outputs can take care of a good fraction of the market, while the big players fill the remaining void.

For the efforts and the seeable results in agribusiness, Governor Makinde does have my attention. I hope he can do better, while others follow his lead towards ensuring that the goal of Africa feeding itself is achieved.