Nigeria’s Agric Research Sector Loses $100m Annually Due to Inability to Attract Grants, Says ARMTI Boss

Hammed Shittu

The Executive Director of the Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Ilorin, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni has said that Nigeria’s agriculture research sector loses about $100 million yearly due to its inability to attract grants from local and foreign foundations and organisations.

Oladunni made the remark in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday, during the opening of a week-long workshop on grantsmanship for agricultural research officers by the institute.

He, however, said the country needs agric research to improve its food production, reduce food shortages and poverty as well create job.

The ARMTI boss said the institute deemed it necessary to contribute its own quota into developing the skills, knowledge and research competence of the nation’s scientists, “to make them develop more, better, quality and high-yielding varieties to improve food security in Nigeria.”

He stated, “Based on the background that some of the commodities such as crops, livestock, fisheries or even agro-forestry are already being produced in the country but the quantum of our production is far below international output.

“Nigeria is not losing anything below a $100 million grants every year due to inability to attract both local and foreign grants. And you know what that can do in the research system only in agriculture.

“When you extend this and look at value chain for research, there are lots to gain by research scientists among other actors along the research value chain that are losing this opportunity.

“For instance, in soya beans production, the highest you can have as output per hectare today is 1.3 tonnes as against 10 tonnes per hectare in some other climes.

“You can see the enormity of what we’re saying. It’s not just in style of production, but varieties being planted. And that’s where research comes in. Research must be able to make production high yielding.

“We need to improve the tonnes of food we produce in this country to make food shortages go down, make poverty go down and increase employment within the system. It’s only when you have the right varieties of commodities cutting across livestock, fisheries and crop production that you can get some of these things done.

“That’s the essence of having research institutes and faculties of agriculture in our tertiary institution because agric research is not meant for research institutes alone. Every participant is supposed to be involved.”

Oladunni, who said 50 participants at the training programme were drawn across research institutes in the country, added that, “almost every research institute in the country is represented and faculties of agriculture around us and outside here, including our own staff are involved.”

Speaking on behalf of participants, Dr. Ishaku Leo Elisha from Vom, Plateau state, said they would collaborate through networking among themselves to spread the knowledge garnered during the programme towards making the training worthwhile.