IN the 2024 budget, the zone of Nigeria’s Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, got 21 out of 118 projects by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

While Mr Akpabio’s zone got the highest number of projects from the ministry in 2024, some food-producing states received nothing, Economy Post analysis of the 2024 budget showed.

Akpabio represents Akwa Ibom North West senatorial zone comprising 10 local government areas of Abak, Essien, Etim Ekpo, Ikono, Ika, Ini, Ikot-Ekpene, Oruk Anam, Obot, and Ukanafun.

Except the Federal Capital Territory which has one senatorial district, each of the 36 states in Nigeria has 3 zones. In total, Nigeria has 109 senatorial zones.

Yet, only one senatorial zone belonging to the topmost lawmaker in the country was allocated 21 projects in the 2024 budget, even when some food-producing states such as Benue and Taraba had no specific project assigned to them.

READ ALSO: Agric Budget: Akpabio’s senatorial zone gets 21 projects, food-belt states receive nothing

But rural farm roads in Ikono and Abak as well as two local government areas in Akwa Ibom North West were constructed in 2024 at the cost of N1 billion.

There were also constructions of Essien & Etim Ekpo rural farm roads at the same cost of N1 billion.

The same projects were repeated at Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Ini, Obot, Orun Anam and Ukanafun, all in Akwa Ibom North West zone. These roads cost N3 billion.

Similarly, there were fabrication and lightening of all rural farm roads “with all in one standard solar street light” at Ikono, Abak, Essien, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Ini, Obot, Orun Anam, and Ukanafun at the cost of N2.5 billion.

Furthermore, there were rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables at Ikono, Abak, Essien, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot, Ini, Orun Anam and Ukanafun at the cost of N5 billion.

The Agric Ministry’s 2024 budget also contained an allocation for the construction of Ibiakpan-Akan Road to “boost agricultural output in Akwa Ibom State” as well as the construction of Ikot Uko Road and Ikot Aba Road “to aid movement of fishers produce in Akwa Ibom State.”

The Senate president’s zone also had a budget of N1.5 billion set aside for “erosion control in some parts of Abiakpo, Ikot Essien-Ikono to ease agricultural movement of far, produce.”

There was yet another N1.5 billion set aside for the “construction of internal roads at various communities in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District” as well as the “construction of market in various communities in various communities in Akwa Ibom North West” at the cost of N1.5 billion.

READ ALSO: Battered By banditry, hard-hit by hunger: Benue, Nigeria’s food basket, battles malnutrition

Total budget set aside by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for Mr Akpabio’s senatorial zone in the 2024 budget was N18.5 billion(over $23 million).

Lopsided allocation

While Akwa Ibom North West got 21 agric projects in 2024, some states did not get any.

A typical example was Benue State, which is the largest producer of cassava, mangoes, and oranges, second largest producer of yam, and third biggest farmer of rice, The Republic said.

There was no specific project assigned to the state touted as “Food Basket of the Nation.” Without doubt, some projects in the budget were not assigned to any state or local government specifically, but others were. Secondly, some projects were meant to be executed in the 6 geopolitical zones in the country. So, it was not clear if the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security assigned specific projects to the state later.

Director of Information, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Joel Oruche, did not respond to a question in this regard.

Based on Economy Post‘s critical review of the budget, states such as Taraba, Jigawa, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Yobe (food-belt states) depended on the mercies of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Abubakar Kyari, a former senator, for projects in 2024.

But Abia (11) and Akwa Ibom North West (21) took the largest chunk, even though there were states doing much better than them in terms of food production.

State of Nigeria’s agriculture

Agriculture contributes 21-23 percent to the Nigerian economy, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The country has 34 million arable land, says the Food and Agricultural Organization (FOA).

Nigeria is one of the least mechanised countries with the country’s tractor density of 0.27 hp/ hectare, which is below the FAO recommended tractor density of 1.5 hp/ hectare.

It is the 132nd out of the 188 countries worldwide in terms of the number of tractors owned. 

Its cassava output is 42 million metric tonnes (MT) but demand stands at 53.8 million MT, with a gap of 11.8 million MT, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security data show.

Irish potato potato production is 900,000 MT per annum but demand is estimated at 8million MT.

Sweet potato production is estimated at 1.2 million MT, but demand is 6million MT, showing a gap of 4.8 million MT.

It produces 400,000 MT of wheat annually but has a demand of 4 million MT, which leaves a gap of 3.6million MT.

Maize production is 10.5 million MT, while demand is 15 million MT, leaving a gap of 4.5 million MT.

“The challenge is usually funding,” said President, Community Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria, Dr Austin Maduka.

“We need to make funding available for agriculture and also address issues relating to the land tenure system.”