The Kwara State chapter of Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) among other stakeholders, has called on the state government to promote the enrolment of agricultural insurance policies for smallholder farmers due to rising insecurity in the country.
This call was made through a communique issued from one-day Public Financing for Agriculture Budget Committee Advocacy (PFA-BCG) Summit held in Ilorin, organized by the Kwara Budget Committee Group (BCG).
The group observed that there has not been significant improvement in budget allocation to agriculture in line with Maputo/Malabo declaration and commitment to increasing food production, reduce hunger and poverty.
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Maputo/Malabo declaration was made in  July 2003 at the Second Ordinary Assembly of the African Union in Maputo, where Heads of State and Government in Africa made several important decisions regarding agriculture, but prominent among them was the allocation of at least 10 per cent of the annual budget to agriculture.
Mr Abdulrahman Ayuba, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE), while declaring the summit open said BCG activities has always revolved around the strengthening of government investment in  agriculture sector and enhancing the result-oriented implementation of its programs.
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According to the communique, the group wants the state government and House of Assembly to Scale Up Public Investment in Agriculture, by ensuring timely consideration, passage, and total budget release to serve as a strategic approach to increase food production, reduce hunger and poverty.
They also recommended that the State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should create awareness/sensitization of stakeholders on the new agricultural policy as part of efforts towards promoting improved citizen participation in the budget process.
