Afe Babalola’s Agric revolution, a saving grace as Nigeria loses $9b Revenue Annually in Agric Sector, Says Minister

By Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

The founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) has been described as a single man saving grace for Nigeria in Agricultural sector, because of his giant stride since he established the University. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who stated this in Ado Ekiti at the weekend also disclosed that the country is losing a staggering sum of $9b annually due to poor investment in agriculture business. The Minister said Nigeria was also losing over 240 million metric tonnes of fish production in the world market that could have increased foreign earnings and boost the economy before the advent of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Lokpobiri stated that due to government’s laxity, that many of the country’s agricultural products were being exported to other West African nations and branded in the names of those countries after processing , making Nigeria to lose revenue earnings. The Minister who specifically lauded Baba Aare’s innitiative in Agricultural sector, spoke during a lunch organised in his honour by ABUAD in Ado Ekiti where he revealed to the gathering the wonders that he saw during his visit to ABUAD’s farm. Lokpobiri urged all Nigerian Universities to emulate ABUAD’s landmark exploits in farming, describing the university as setting a pace for the country to actualise food security status. He expressed fear that the country may witness serious famine in future with the projection that its population may hit 250 million by 2030, warning that it is high time governments started planning to checkmate such occurrence. The Minister promised that the federal government will partner ABUAD in the area of agriculture and training of young graduates to boost food production . He said the 400 -bed Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital has launched the country on the world’s map of medical tourism, describing it as a wasteful effort for any Nigerian to be seeking medical treatment abroad with the facilities in the hospital. “Before President Buhari came, Nigeria was losing $9b revenue earnings annually in agric sector . ” In Nigeria, we are not producing enough fish to feed our population, that is why we are relying heavily on importation. The deficit between demand and supply was 2.5m metric tonnes annually , this is about 320 containers . You can imagine the quantum of revenue we lost to low production in this sector alone. “Knowing that our products were being taken to other West African nations to be processed and rebranded , we introduced certification policy for all our products in order to have right and proper certificates for our products and in order not to affect the Gross Domestic Products(GDP) negatively. “When I visited Belgium, the Minister of Agriculture told me the country’s annual revenue earning in agric sector was 35 billion Euros. This is a country with less than 5m population. ” He further told me that the difference between agriculture in Africa and the West is Technology and innovation . That was why the FG in partnership with the world bank earmarked a sum of 250 million dollars to train young graduates in agribusiness. “Our universities must pay attentions to technology and innovation . They must emulate what ABUAD is doing in agriculture sector, because I wonder what would happen to us in future if we cannot feed just 180m population. ” We are proud to say that ABUAD has become the pride of the nation. It is setting the standard for food security in Nigeria. ” All these accounted for why President Muhammadu Buhari said we must produce what we eat. He reduced taxes in agriculture to attract investors to Nigeria. We are also taking pragmatic steps to increase productivity in the sector”, he said. On the ABUAD teaching hospital, Lokpobiri said : “The era when people are seeking medical tourism in Dubai, India and USA is gone. Why must you struggle to get visas again when you have ABUTH. The personnel and facilities there are second to none”.