Columns
Rice pyramid in Nigeria and matters arising, by Prof M. K. Othman
Rice pyramid in Nigeria and matters arising, by Prof M. K. Othman
Deep Thought with Othman
In the early part of the year, 2013, the Agricultural Complex of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria received members of the Joint House Committee on Agriculture who came for an oversight function.
During the introduction of personalities, the then Executive Director of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Professor Balarabe Tanimu of blessed memory was introduced as professor of groundnut agronomy, and IAR, a research centre with the mandate of genetic improvement of groundnut among other agricultural commodities. During the opening remarks, the leader of the delegation, a distinguished senator enthusiastically challenged the distinguished scholar, Professor Tanimu, and the Institute to bring back the “great” Kano groundnut pyramid of the 1960s and 1970s. After eulogizing the tireless efforts of the groundnut farmers of that epoch, he pledged a sturdy House support to the Institute with enough budgetary allocation to achieve the challenge.
In his response, Prof. Tanimu appreciated the benevolent gesture of the House members for their keenness to increase the Institute’s budgetary allocation. He stressed the importance of adequate funding for agricultural research as the most viable means of decupling production, addressing production challenges, and/or enhancing crops’ nutrient content.
He assured the guests of IAR’s readiness to judiciously utilize the fund allocation for higher research outputs. He pointed out that even with the inadequate funding, IAR was able to develop new varieties of groundnut, which produced high yield and the quantum of production was much higher than what was being produced in the 1960s and 1970s. Similarly, the level of consumption was much higher due to population increase within the period (about 45 million people in 1960 and 170 million in 2013).
Nonetheless, Tanimu pointed out that reviving the groundnut pyramid was not the aim of IAR. Those pyramids served as aggregation centres for feed-stocking the Agro-industries of foreign countries. Professor Tanimu, an excellent diplomat cum academic, carefully chose his words not to hurt the feelings of the august visitors. Yet, the message was very clear; the groundnut pyramid was a symbol of colonial exploitation and underdevelopment.
Then, groundnut and other cash crops were being produced for exportation to European countries, which were processed and imported into the country at ten times the prices of the raw materials. The best way to produce agricultural commodities is to serve as raw materials to local industries whose products would be locally consumed and exported to other countries. In any case, the commodity pyramid has been one of the performance indicators for measuring agricultural productivity. The simple indicator for measuring productivity is crop output or yield per unit area of production with a unit of Kg/m2 or tons per hectare. So, what was the implication of the Abuja rice pyramid mounted some weeks ago?
Mounting a pyramid of an agricultural commodity such as rice in any part of the country cannot showcase the quantum of production of such a commodity. The associated costs of organising and transporting the commodity to the venue can be overbearing. However, the Abuja rice pyramid event, being the first of its kind, was marked with pomp and pageantry recording a huge success. Although, this success could not stand to represent a success story of boosting rice production but has uniquely packaged hopes for a better future. The presence of top government functionaries and high-profile personalities including President Buhari indicated the willingness of Nigeria’s leadership to support the country achieve food security. The commodity pyramid should not replace the annual agricultural show where innovations, ingenuity, and breakthroughs in the agricultural sector are being packaged and displayed. A few weeks after the rice pyramid event, where do we move? What are the matters arising from the Abuja event?
Fortunately, Nigeria is naturally positioned to achieve greatness in Agriculture; versatile fertile land, huge unquantifiable water resources, and virile and active human resources. In addition to these natural endowments, policies, and programs, over the years were designed to fast-track agricultural development. Theoretically, these programs and projects sound perfect but practically, their implementations have always been haphazardly done thereby retarding their successes. In the last three decades, so many funds were sunk in agriculture in the names of programs and projects without tangible impacts on the productivity of smallholder farmers who constitute ninety per cent of the farming population and contribute eighty-five per cent of national food production.
The major defect of these programs/projects is the lack of an agricultural extension component. Where extension component exists, there has always been incoherent roles and responsibilities because the front extension personnel belongs to the state government while the programs are mostly federal government-sponsored/supported. Today’s agriculture is driven by knowledge and the knowledge is solely facilitated by extension service delivery. In Nigeria, agricultural extension service is poorly funded and poorly manned. How do we move forward?
Agricultural extension entails knowledge transfer, utilization and feedback, market intelligence, skill acquisition and perfection, and productivity enhancement along the value chain of agricultural commodities (crops and livestock). Therefore, special treatment to agricultural extension can be made through fast-tracking the release of the National Agricultural Extension Policy. The policy was already developed and I am privileged to be part of the team that finalised the policy document. The development of the policy was a painstaking national assignment that was done over five years by agricultural experts, technocrats, and academics. Thus, the policy contains ready-made and holistic solutions to the challenges to agricultural extension service delivery.
It also considers what to be done to modernise agriculture holistically now and in the future. Fortunately, the structure of the agricultural extension system at the grassroots level, the Agricultural Development Program (ADP), developed between the 1970s and 1980s with the support of the World Bank, is still in place and robust but ineffective due to gross underfunding.
The policy has taken good care of how to source alternative and sustainable funds to support and develop an agricultural extension system in the country. If the policy becomes operational, it will automatically increase public and private investment in agriculture with special attention to extension services. This will spontaneously escalate agricultural productivity in geometric proportion. The increase in agricultural productivity will cover both crops and livestock farming with positive implications on the livelihoods of the farmers and herders.
In conclusion, instead of having commodity pyramids, efforts should be geared towards adequately funding extension services through legislation of agricultural extension policy. This will sooner than later bring the desired result of achieving food security, reducing poverty, and creating jobs for millions of Nigerians.
Prof. Faruk Buba is currently leading the affairs at UMTH
By: Balami Lazarus
The health sector has witnessed positive changes, with hospitals serving as agents of healthcare service delivery for patients and those in need of medical services.
Likewise, our health institution, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), contributes to healthcare services, and despite the challenges faced, the CMD Prof. Faruk Buba will no doubt make a difference.
Aside from providing medical and healthcare, UMTH is a training institution for medical students; it also provides space for medical research and development (R&D) in various fields of medicines, which UMTH is long known for.
Whenever an organization or institution has a new chief executive, expectations are always high. The case of UMTH is not exceptional, as Prof. Faruk Buba now takes charge as the 9th Chief Medical Director of UMTH.
The atmosphere presently at UMTH is one of expectations of positive changes and performance to reset and reboot the hospital to engage staff and workers to deliver effective, efficient, and quality healthcare services.
UMTH under the leadership of Prof. Buba shall be better than he met it, going by his medical and administrative experiences/positions he held before: Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC), Chairman Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (UMTH), Director of Ahmed Bola Tinubu ICT Centre, among other positions held.
Prof. Faruk Buba was born some 57 years ago. A professor of cardiology/consultant. He attended Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and began his medical career with UMTH and rose to where he is today. He hails from Gombe State.
Balalami, Publisher/Columnist 08036779290
Prof. Faruk Buba is currently leading the affairs at UMTH
SHOSA: Celebrating Excellence as Old Students Prepares to Rekindle Memories
By: Balami Lazarus
This piece is a flashback: a package of wholesome embodiments of amazing memories that are part of many of us who are still alive as ex-students of Plato College Sharam-Kanke, Plateau State.
Looking back at memory lane, you reading this work will concur with me that Old Students Associations of Schools has always rekindled memories of nostalgic feelings, and there you are; back to those good old days as boys and girls where our joy, happiness, laughter, jokes, and pranks reside with some bittered dots of anger triggered by disciplines/punishments from teachers and bullying seniors.
As an old boy of Plato College, Sharam has no regrets about passing through the said secondary school. Many others and I have every cause to appreciate God for being alive and in good health.
I believed that all Sharamites (Platonians, my creation) alive shall and will not easily forget Dr. Sumuila Ndayako of blessed memories, who was the Rector of the school for impacting knowledge and disciplines that have shaped our lives in many ways in line with the school motto “know thyself and the universe,” believing many of us have keyed into this.
Therefore, the Sharam Old Students Association (Shosa) of Plato College Sharam, Jos Chapter, prepares to host this year (2026) National Convention, where her boys and girls, who are today men, women, and grandparents, are looking forward to meeting and celebrating excellence.
The National Convention shall be an opportunity that will provide great reunion of togetherness to rekindle memories of secondary school days where Sharamites that I called Platonians of Plato College Sharam shall again meet in recollection of boys and girls, seniors and juniors.
In spite of current challenges, Shosa is forging ahead. And this year the National Convention has been slated for the 20th to 21st of November 2026 in the city of Jos, with the theme yet to be announced.
It is on record that most Old Students Associations on the Plateau, including Shosa, are contributing positively to the state and to nation building in both public and private sectors.
As a member of some clubs, societies, unions, and associations, I have observed that the challenges of such groups are lack of financial commitment in the payments of dues and failure to contribute when the needs arise and equally not attending meetings.
Similarly, few members are the holders of associations like my Shosa, where few are truly committed to the cause of my alma mater.
The lack of financial commitment and the unconcerned attitudes of most who claimed to be members are alarming in most ex-student associations in our nation.
Let me be raw here: whenever in any association there will be a celebration, members by default are always in large numbers. And most times outnumbering the serious ones.
What are the attractive elements of such a change of gear?
Balami, Publisher/Columnist 08036779290
SHOSA: Celebrating Excellence as Old Students Prepares to Rekindle Memories
The British Massacres and Lugard’s Punitive Expeditions in Nigerian History
By: Balami Lazarus
Are we back to the days of Lord Fredrick Lugard? Nigeria is once again bleeding with innocent bloods caused by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.
And that there has never been in the annals of Nigerian history a chapter or even a complete page or paragraph that fully mentioned or explained the punitive expeditions of Lord Frederick Lugard’s massacres in Nigeria. I am yet to see that. But rather, he was hailed as the hero of amalgamation, which gave birth to modern Nigeria.
Similarly, today the aforesaid criminals are recognized and are printed and electronic.
From the late 18th century to the dawn of the 19th century was a period of colonial reformations where the north and the south stood as protectorates administered by the British government from Lagos as her crown colony.
Historical developments in both the north and south of the Niger were trials of blood, bloods of innocent Nigerians; Lokoja was the confluence of these bloods. These periods were marked by Lugard’s expeditions of massacres, killings, and punitive and wastage of human lives and resources.
Lord Frederick Lugard was brutal and ruthless, a British army officer who was known to have caused the deaths of many Nigerians in the protectorates that later made up the nation known, called, and addressed as Nigeria.
Lugard’s administration of Nigeria was an expedition of atrocities, killings, and massacres where terror was the rule of law. Towns and villages that showed resistance were dealt with mercilessly, resulting in massacres.
Let me reel out a few of Lugard’s punitive and bloody expeditions.
Akassa raid/Brass oil war (1895). Hundreds were killed. Akassa burnt down. Benin raid (1897). Over a thousand men and women were massacred, and historical works of art, among other treasures, were looted. Benin City was burnt down.
Sultan Attahiru the first and his over 1000 followers were mercilessly killed at Burmi in 1903 in present Gombe state. The most annoying thing about this was that Attahiru was pursued by Lugard and his soldiers and subsequently massacred them.
The Satiru massacres of 1906 were one of the worst punitive expeditions in the then Northern Protectorate carried out by Lord Frederick, where 2000 men were killed and Satiru was wiped out completely on the map of modern Nigeria as a town.
There were the Ekumeku massacres (1898-1911). Aba women riot (1929), where women were shot and killed. There were also the Iva Valley/Enugu Colliery massacres (1949).
There were pockets of punitive expeditions in both the protectorates. However, South Bled much longer, right from 1890 to 1949. While North conquest was sharp and short (1900-1907).
The colonialization process of Nigeria no doubt came with punitive expeditions and massacres. Therefore, Lord Frederick Lugard’s presence in the history of Nigeria is a subject of study. Over to historians and researchers.
Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 08036779290
The British Massacres and Lugard’s Punitive Expeditions in Nigerian History
NDLEA Busts International Drug Routes, Uncovers Gun Factory, Seizes Tons of Illicit Drugs
Ikpeazu Presents Credentials as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to UN Tourism
MSF Raises Alarm Over Diphtheria Drug Shortage, Says Thousands of Nigerian Children at Risk
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News3 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions5 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News2 years agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
Opinions5 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News3 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
ACADEMICS3 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns3 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Politics1 year ago2027: Why Hon. Midala Balami Must Go, as Youths in Hawul and Asikira/Uba Federal Constituency Reject ₦500,000 as Sallah Gift
