A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Kwara State has urged the state government to allocate funds for climate-resilient agricultural practices.
The call was made during a visit to the Kwara House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Representatives from the coalition, speaking through their Budget Committee Group (BCG), highlighted that the state’s agricultural budget since 2019 has not adequately addressed global climate concerns.
They warned that this oversight could negatively impact food security, health, social well-being, and the environment.
The coalition pointed out that the 2024 agriculture budget for Kwara stands at just 1.49% of the total state budget, falling well below the 10% benchmark set by the Maputo Declaration. Specifically, women in agriculture received N11,379,900 (0.26% of the total budget), while farm inputs were allocated N1,000,000,000 (22.9% of the total budget).
The CSOs recommended that provisions should be made for climate resilience projects to support smallholder farmers. This includes the promotion and provision of organic fertilizers in line with Sustainable Development Goal 13.
They also called for the involvement of CSOs and smallholder women farmer groups in needs and impact assessments, as well as the annual budget preparation process.
The coalition emphasized the importance of timely and direct distribution of farm inputs to grassroots stakeholders.
To ensure accountability and effective access to government intervention programs, the CSOs recommended that all agricultural-related budget activities be included in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s budget.
Despite their concerns, the CSOs commended the state government for allocating N30,000,000 to youth in agriculture through the Integrated Youth Farm Settlement, which aims to reduce youth unemployment and build agricultural skills and capacity.
In response, the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Isa Gideon from Edu Constituency, assured that the committee would collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture to explore the use of organic fertilizers.
He acknowledged that while chemical fertilizers increase yield, they deplete the soil, making it unusable for certain periods.
Mr. Gideon promised that the issues raised by the CSOs would be given due consideration and possibly included in the state’s supplementary budget.
The BCG, supported by ActionAid Nigeria, has been analyzing the Kwara agriculture budget for 11 years.
The coalition includes Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE), Connected Development (CODE), Community Agricultural Initiative Programme (CAIP), and other notable CSOs.
The call for climate-resilient agricultural practices comes at a crucial time as Kwara State seeks to enhance its agricultural sector and address the challenges posed by climate change.
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