Ibrahim Kabir, National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN
has commended Nigeria Agro Input Dealers Association, NAIDA for the
initiative to launch Compliance Monitoring Team on Agricultural Input
Distribution/Sales in Nigeria. He said the initiative gives hope to Nigerian
farmers, thereby guarantying food security in the country.
Kabir spoke at the launching of the Association’s ‘Compliance Monitoring
Team on Agricultural Input Distribution/Sales in Nigeria’in Abuja. The event
was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator
Abubakar Kyari in Abuja.
The AFAN leader said, “This is quite germane in the health and food safety
of our nation. The food safety of Nigeria is the food safety of all of Africa.
So many nations around this hemisphere depend on Nigeria for food.”
According to him, with the population of Nigeria at 200 million, added to
other countries to the horn of Africa coming to about 500 million, food
insecurity in the belt will be a danger to the world.
He said that was the reason the initiative has given him confidence that the
country would get it right in the area of food security. He said, “I am glad
you are doing soul-searching, looking at your membership, promoting
integrity, and that is the most important element in nation-building. So,
when you sell agrochemicals, the right product goes to the farmers
because it is bearing on the health of the nation.”
Kabir Fara, National President of NAIDA assured Nigerians that
clampdown on fake agro inputs dealers will reduce losses farmers incur
and also safeguard the health of Nigerians. Fara who said agro-dealers are
the major link between input suppliers and end users (farmers), said
operators within the link must be monitored and made to comply with best
practices. That way, he said, farmers would be able to get value for their
money.
“Agro dealers are the major link between input suppliers and end users
(farmers) Agro input (seeds, fertilizers, crop protection products, farm
implements) and extension services are able to reach farmers better
through agro-dealers. This is the summary of what we (NAIDA) have been
doing professionally in the nooks & crannies of Nigeria year in and year
out.”
He added that “It is on this note and recognizing that we have some of us
that are culpable of these malpractices in the sales/distribution of
agricultural inputs that this compliance monitoring team is being put in
place in all the 36 States and FCT with a view to addressing the
malpractice accordingly.
“The inauguration of this team in all the 36 States/FCT will no doubt
facilitate and ultimately create an enabling environment for sustainable
agricultural development in Nigeria and our Association will be a body to
always reckon with on designing and implementing sustainable agricultural
policies through advocacy, provision of accurate agro input information,
output marketing and private extension services in collaboration with
relevant stakeholders.”
However, notwithstanding the existence of some bad eggs among them,
Fara assured that “NAIDA is living up to its mission statement, which is to
make quality agricultural inputs available, accessible and affordable to
farmers in Nigeria with a view to increasing their well-being and ensuring
food security for all in the country.”
He said his association will also not rest on its oars, adding that “NAIDA is
promising to work with relevant stakeholders at both the State and National
levels to ensure that good quality agricultural inputs are made available to
farmers across the country. Our overall aim is to chart a course forward that
ensures robust and sustainable sales and distribution of quality inputs to
big and smallholder farmers working in close collaboration with the Ministry,
Security Agencies and other relevant stakeholders that will guarantee
successful/enviable outcomes.”
The NAIDA chief said as they do that they also felt duty bound that “It is
pertinent at this juncture to bring to fore the outcries by the public on the
dubious attitudes of agro-dealers particularly with regards to adulteration of
agric inputs, round tripping of products especially fertilizer which for all
intent and purposes is perhaps exaggerated.”
His heartache is that such exaggeration is shared in official quarters. For
instance, he said, “I could recall our meeting with the Hon. Minister of Agric
& Food Security on Tuesday 16th of January 2024 in the conference room
of the ministry wherein the Minister expressed his anxiety over the conduct
of Agro dealers in the just concluded dry season wheat programme
concerning round tripping of fertilizer. On Investigation, we found out that
the allegations on the round-tripping were more of rumors being flaunted by
nay-sayers.”
So, why did he allude to the existence of bad eggs among his people? He
said, “I am not standing here to say that agro-dealers are angels neither
would I classify us as devil incarnate. As we all are aware, human beings
all over the world are bound to always want to cut corners and that is why
laws/punishments are established in statute books to address these
behavioral patterns accordingly.” He is, therefore, saying that he was not
contradicting himself in this respect. It is just that he believes that the
claims are exaggerated, at least by the result of the investigations by
NAIDA.
