An agricultural economist and former APC senatorial aspirant, Prof Phillips Nto, has urged state and local governments to allocate at least 30 per cent of their annual budgets to agriculture to boost food production and reduce rising food prices.
Nto, a former Abia State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, said the increased allocations to the two tiers of government from the Federation Account Allocation Committee should translate into greater investment in agriculture.
He made the call while speaking with journalists ahead of the 2026 World Food Day, which has the theme, “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow.”
The professor said increased funding for agriculture should be accompanied by policies and interventions to support local farmers, including the distribution of improved seeds and fertilisers, the introduction of modern farming technologies, and regular training for farmers.
He also urged state and local governments to strengthen security in farming communities to protect farmers against banditry and kidnapping, noting that insecurity could undermine agricultural activities and food production.
Nto, who is also a former Provost of the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, called on state governors to deploy compressed natural gas-powered and electric buses to rural communities to facilitate the transportation of farm produce to markets.
He said an efficient transportation system would help reduce the cost of moving agricultural products and ease the pressure on food prices.
“I sincerely believe that if these measures are put in place by the states and local governments, there will be an increase in food production, which, in turn, will bring about a reduction in food prices,” Nto said.
The public affairs analyst and former World Bank consultant also called for concessionary loans for genuine farmers through agricultural development banks to enable them to expand production and improve yields.
He said governments should invest in rural infrastructure and encourage local processing of agricultural products to promote value addition and increase farmers’ earnings.
Nto further urged researchers in Nigerian universities and research institutes to make their findings accessible to rural farmers through extension services, practical demonstrations and regular training programmes.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to adopt modern agricultural technologies to improve productivity, rather than continue to rely largely on traditional and crude farming methods.
According to him, increased public investment, improved security, access to affordable credit, modern technology and better transportation would help strengthen food production and make food more affordable for Nigerians.
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