The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) disclosed that it has reached an agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria to develop tools for monitoring public spending in agriculture.
The FAO pointed out that the first work plan for 2022/2023, will involve monitoring of public spending in agriculture, to better understand spending patterns, priorities and bottlenecks, and how public policies affect price incentives for agricultural commodities relative to international prices, influencing farmers’ decisions to produce or trade a commodity.
The monitoring program for the FAO covers eight partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, using the Monitoring and Analyzing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) program – a leading technical and policy support initiative at FAO.
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The FAO Representative in Nigeria, Fred Kafeero, pointed out that MAFAP’s technical and policy support is aligned with the new FAO’s Global Strategic Framework 2022–2031 to build more sustainable and efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, while leaving no one behind.
MAFAP Manager and Senior Economist at FAO, Christian Derlagen, stated on his own that they are ready to support the Nigerian government with economic analyses and advice, through the renewal and strengthening of the MAFAP program in Nigeria.
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“This is to drive agricultural transformation forward for agrifood sector growth, better nutrition and affordable diets, and easier market access for farmers. “Globally, there is huge momentum for countries to rethink, repurpose, and reform their policies on food and agriculture,”
The Director of Planning and Policy Coordination, FMARD, Ibrahim Bello, noted that the portfolio of technical and policy support from FAO is expected to contribute to the implementation of the recently adopted National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), a six-year national agricultural policy, aimed at ensuring resilience and growth of the agricultural sector.
