Monday 7 November 2016

Don blames lack of agricultural growth on policy inconsistency

As the country pushes to reinvent agriculture as the mainstay of the economy with the dwindling revenue arising from the oil glut, stakeholders have made a case for proper implementation of agricultural policies in Nigeria.

Prof. Gabriel Umoh, Director in-charge of Wetlands and Waste Management Studies (WWMS) at the University of Uyo, blamed the problem on lack of political will and total commitment to agricultural development by successive administrations in Nigeria.  

He spoke at the 50th in the series of Inaugural Lectures of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) held at the institution’s Onyeama Ogochukwu Hall.

The lecture entitled: Why Did Mrs. X Die?, was a reflection on wetlands agricultural development in Nigeria.

And Umoh, a Professor of Agricultural and Development Economics, wonders why policy formulators should continue to pay lips service to issues of agriculture and food production and advocated for a holistic action plan to tackle the problem.

“Several studies have clearly shown that policy making and implementation has been one of the fundamental reasons for the malfunctioning and failure of the Nigerian economy”, he noted.

“Experience from these policies, programmes and projects has shown that there is no alternative to well designed, articulated and implemented agricultural policies as instruments for promoting agricultural growth and development in Nigeria”, he submitted.

He, therefore, called on governments at various levels, policy formulators and other relevant agencies to work in close collaboration with  agricultural stakeholders with a view to revamping the sector for increased agricultural Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) in Nigeria.

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