Farmers in Nigeria demand higher government's commitment to food security

Smallholder farmers across Nigeria on Friday, October 16, 2009 demanded that governments at different level in the country give issue of food security priority.
The farmers who participated at the world food day events organised across the six geo-political zones of the country by ActionAid Nigeria and its partners marched round capital cities with banners stating their demands and also met with state officials.
In Ondo State, South West Nigeria, Coacoa farmers under the aegis of the Golden Cocoa Growers Association of Nigeria, have called on the Federal Government to direct banks to release part of the N200bn agricultural support fund.

The Ondo state Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, after listening to issues raised by farmers present promised that the government would assist them with subsidies and grants to improve their business and standard of living.
He also ordered the State commissioner for Agriculture to register the Partnership Against Poverty farmer’s Association as one of the farmers' groups to be assisted.
In the North west state of Kebbi, farmers demanded that the government intervene in the issue of fertiliser distribution.
According to one of the farmers, 50-year old Muhammad Sani Tiggi, "we farmers don’t know whether government distributed fertilizer this season, we only saw fertilizer in the hands of black marketers.

"We the local farmers contribute certain percentage of the food people consume in our local government but yet we don’t receive any Agricultural support from the government at all levels, our farmers need Fertilizer, Soft agricultural loans, tractors, water pumps machines as well as presence of agricultural extension Workers so that our farming activities will improve and food will be available to all”

In Abakaliki, capital city of Ebonyi State in South East Nigeria, farmers and other food rights campaigners took to the street dressed in their farm gears carrying banners.
The Ebonyi farmers known for their rice production raised issues about government commitment to agriculture.

Banks providing loans for agricultural activities in the state met with farmers to discuss grey issues in accessing facilities from the finance houses.