What Akwa Ibom Gov’t must do to boost agriculture-Clement Isong Foundation
…Makes case for climate change awareness in Akwa Ibom
The Akwa Ibom State Government has been urged to release improved seed varieties and grants to farmers, to boost agricultural production and food sufficiency in the state.
The call was made by a Non-Governmental Organisation (CIF), the Clement Isong Foundation, during its Townhall Meeting, tagged “From Tracking to Transformation: Akwa Ibom Budget and Accountability Townhall”, held recently in Uyo, the state Capital.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the event, CIF noted that resilient seed varieties were needed to withstand harsh climate changes, while agricultural grants will assist farmers who may have suffered losses.
The Foundation further called for what it described as aggressive climate change awareness within farming communities in the state and establishment of agricultural response units in the various local government areas.
Earlier, the Executive Director, African Human Development Centre (AHDC), Prof. Umoh Gabriel, cited climate change as one of the challenges faced by farmers, saying the situation has significantly affected agricultural produce and economic advancement in Akwa Ibom State.
While appreciating CIF for its proactiveness, Prof. Gabriel cautioned against actions that may worsen the current climate situation in the state.
On his part, Mr. Hanson Hanson, decried the dearth of knowledge on climate change by farmers in Akwa Ibom State.
“According to data, the majority of farmers in Akwa Ibom State are not aware of how climate change affected them. Just about 5 percent of farmers in Akwa Ibom State had knowledge of climate change and its impact on the agricultural sector. So, in order to improve the agricultural sector, the government needs to set up campaigns, empowerment and awareness programs to help the farmers understand how climate change could have an adverse effect on their agricultural produce”, he said.
In his presentation, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the Clement Isong Foundation, Mr. Utibe Ekanem, briefed participants on the findings of the Clement Isong Foundation in the course of its budget monitoring and tracking programme.
Similarly, representatives from different local governments presented briefs of projects carried out in their local government areas, with Mr. Koffi Asuquo from Ibeno LGA expressing gratitude for the water treatment project executed in the area.
The event also provided an opportunity for relevant stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations, government representatives, private sectors, entrepreneurs, academics and young people to dialogue on the findings from the tracking of funds for projects enlisted in the Akwa Ibom State budget.
Participants were drawn from Uyo, Ibeno, Oron, Ikot Ekpene, Etinan, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including the Victoria Lead Foundation (VLF), AKSAD, Activista, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Akwa Ibom State, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Plasticultured, COBCI, TFNI, She Writes Woman (SWW), CCADI and POWA.
Others were African Human Development Center (AHDC), BlueGreen Initiative for Sustainable Development (BlueGreenISD), PolicyAlert, De Joseph Society, and Enactus, University of Uyo among others.
The event which was organised in collaboration with ActionAid, featured a panel discussion on Budget Transparency and Accountability in Akwa Ibom, as well as Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture in the state.