Adewale Dipeolu
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
 Total
land area of 92.4million hectares
 About
32m hectares/ 34.6% are under
cultivation.
 Population
of about 167 million people of
which ~ 70% are involved in agriculture
and allied services
Agriculture - most important sector, after oil in
Nigeria, with an average contribution of 42
percent to the GDP in 2009.
 There is a complex network of interrelationships
amongst all the agricultural sub sectors including
fisheries, livestock & crop agriculture.
 A country with comparative advantage in certain
commodities should endeavour to intensify
production in such commodities.
 Nigeria’s food imports were growing at an
unsustainable rate of 11% per annum.
 Nigeria has the capacity to be food self-sufficient
and still have enough to export.

 Renewed
urgency and opportunity
for relevant institutions in our
countries to play a central role in
improving food security and
incomes.
 Need for concerted efforts to be put
in place by all stakeholders in
agriculture and trade to improve
capacity for effective service
delivery.
 Federal
and State Ministries of Agriculture
and Rural Development
 Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry
 Farmer associations/groups
 International organisations
 Private organisations
 Educational Institutions
Limited understanding of the relationships between
institutional, human, and physical resources;
 Limited understanding of the impact of policy on endusers at every level in the policy design, planning,
implementation, and monitoring and evaluation
process;
 Disparities among universities, research institutions,
and policymaking authorities;
 Ineffective use of trained capacity in universities; and
 The lack of coordination among various organizations’
activities involved in knowledge management.

Disconnect between universities, research
institutions, and policymaking and
implementation authorities
 University faculties are generally poorly staffed
 The student staff ratios are high (not enough
attention can be paid to students)
 Curriculum not attuned to the design and
implementation of agricultural and rural
development policies and strategies.
 Disconnect between policy theory and practical
applications (need for town and gown case
studies and colloquiums?)

 Courses
exist in economic theory and
agricultural marketing
 Elective courses exist in international
trade / economics

Hardly any with topics on international trade
negotiations and agreements
 Staff
not specialized in international trade
negotiations and agreements (some say
they are)
 Willingness
to include trade negotiations
and agreements in curriculum (has
attendant challenges – curriculum
committees, senate)
 Willingness to run such courses (phd,
msc, certificate and diploma)
 Willingness amongst faculty to attend
training to enhance capacities to teach
courses
 Difficulties
in getting information: non
responses to communications

Creates an impression of rigidities in
behaviour bureaucracy? Nonchalance?
 General
ignorance among officials on
policies
 Lack of expertise in government in
negotiating and implementing agreements
 Negotiations carried out at ministerial
levels

Public officials in agricultural and trade agencies


For effective participation in trade negotiations
particularly as they impact on the agricultural sector
Training




Practitioners in Agriculture


Advocacy
Trade negotiations
Policy reform and implementation
Standards for export trade
University Dons


Incorporating trade related agricultural policy in
curriculum
Developing capacities in international agricultural
trade
 Deficiencies
in managerial, administrative,
and organizational capacities within
universities.
 Cost of accessing information and knowledge
products is very high.
 The critical levels of information available are
often obsolete
 Data collection agencies often receive too
low funding to allow for adequate collection.
 For
some institutions that have access to
updated information, some of the researchers
do not have the capabilities to process the
information or
 the data is inadequate to address policy and
research issues meaningfully.
 Problems further exacerbated by the lack of
power supply to run the computers and other
equipment, poor internet facilities, and
inadequacy of e-learning materials
 HEIs
involved in agriculture are not a major
drivers of learning for change as the content
and methods used in teaching are often
outdated and the quality of the curriculum
weak.
 Agricultural disciplines tend not to be
considered of very great potential for good
labour market outcomes, especially since
governance structures are largely rigid and
do not necessarily prioritize skill sets,
according to those acquired in such
disciplines.
Strengthening institutions through education,
knowledge, and communication
 Improving the quality, gender sensitivity,
timeliness, and circulation of policy relevant
evidence
 Appropriate and innovative solutions with respect
to technology
 Capacities required for improving the impact of
agricultural and rural development programs on
environment
 Adequate and reliable management information
system (MIS) in relation to data collection and
processing
 Creating an enabling environment

Opportunities exist for improving the policy analysis and
research capacity of the agriculture sector in Nigeria
1. Revamping the higher education agriculture programs:
Partnerships and linkages among academics and public
servants are weak, so efforts should be made to strengthen
such relationship.
2. Providing training:
Significant strengthening of policy capacity within key
institutions such as FMARD, Ministries of Trade and Industry,
State Ministries of Agriculture (SMAs), and Local Government
Councils (LGCs).
The focus should be on policy analysis, interpretation,
communication and program management
3. Support monitoring and evaluation
Monitor and evaluate each policy and project implemented
4. Establishing a management information system (MIS)
The aim of the MIS system will be to identify information needs
for various users from both within and outside the FMARD
5. Improving export markets: This can be achieved by working
closely with development partners in learning from their
experience of pilot programs and seeking assistance on the role
the government should play in supporting the private sector
6. Develop a more robust curriculum
Invite specialists in the areas of trade and agriculture to
develop robust curriculum