Ihunna Tochukwu
Faculty of Allied health science
Department of Nursing
GST 113
The Role of corruption,mismanagement and political interference in the failure
of Nigerian Agricultural programme .
Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University
January 28th 2025
The Nigerian agricultural sector has been plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and
political interference, leading to the failure of numerous agricultural programs.
These challenges have hindered the sector's potential to drive economic growth,
reduce poverty, and ensure food security.
One notable example is the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) program,
established in the 1970s to promote irrigation and agricultural development.
However, the program was marred by corruption, poor management, and lack of
maintenance, leading to its decline. Another example is the National Fadama
Development Project, which aimed to improve agricultural productivity and
livelihoods of rural communities. Despite its initial success, the project was
affected by corruption, misprocurement, and poor implementation, leading to its
failure.
The Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, introduced in 2011, aimed to provide
subsidies to farmers for fertilizers and seeds. However, the program was plagued by
corruption, with many farmers not receiving the intended benefits. Furthermore, the
Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), launched in 2012, aimed to drive
agricultural growth and development. However, the program was affected by poor
implementation, lack of funding, and political interference, leading to its
failure.
The consequences of these failures have been far-reaching. The Nigerian
agricultural sector has continued to underperform, with the country relying heavily
on food imports. This has led to a significant drain on the country's foreign
exchange reserves, as well as a rise in food prices, affecting the most vulnerable
members of society. Furthermore, the failures have led to a decline in investor
confidence, hindering the sector's potential to attract much-needed investment.
To design and implement more sustainable agricultural policies in the future,
several recommendations are proposed:
1. *Decentralization and devolution of power*: Agricultural policies should be
devolved to the local government level, allowing for more effective implementation
and monitoring.
2. *Increased transparency and accountability*: Mechanisms should be put in place
to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of agricultural
programs, including regular audits and monitoring.
3. *Strengthening of institutions*: Institutions responsible for agricultural
development, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, should be
strengthened to ensure effective implementation of policies.
4. *Private sector involvement*: The private sector should be encouraged to play a
more active role in agricultural development, including investment in
infrastructure and technology.
5. *Capacity building and training*: Farmers and extension agents should be
provided with regular training and capacity building programs to ensure they have
the necessary skills and knowledge to implement best practices.
By implementing these recommendations, Nigeria can design and implement more
sustainable agricultural policies, reducing the risk of corruption, mismanagement,
and political interference, and ensuring the sector's potential to drive economic
growth and development is realized.
