By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
A group under the auspices of Bauchi State Public Finance for Agriculture Budget Committee has appealed to the Bauchi State government to increase funding to the agricultural sector of the state.
The group also advocated for budgetary allocation for smallholder women farmers. to support their agricultural activities and boost food production.
The Chairperson of the Budget Committee Group, Mrs Tabawa Atiku, stated this during an advocacy visit to the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Y. Suleiman organised by the Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative in collaboration with Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) with support from Action-Aid Nigeria.
Atiku said thst the aim of the visit was to enable the group present findings of the 2025 agriculture budget analysis, and advocated for increase in budgetary allocation allocated to the sector.
Mrs Atiku that said the committee’s analysis of the 2025 budget revealed that only 1.6 percent of the 2025 budget was allocated to agriculture in the state, pointing out that the figure falls far below the 10 percent benchmark set by the 2014 Malabo Declaration, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
She also requested for the recruitment of extension agents that will help build the capacities of wonen farmers and providing them with incentives and facilities necessary for their effectiveness in order to meet the one extension worker to 3,000 ratio in the field.
While presenting the agriculture budget analysis to the Speaker,she noted that said the sector has been experiencing fluctuation in allocation over years which has not been encouraging.
Responding, the Speaker of the State Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman noted that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed has been giving priority to the agricultural sector through various interventions for farmers.
He assured that the group that the House Committee on agriculture will study the 2025 agriculture budget analysis and will take noted of the grey areas with the view to address them.
Also speaking, Mrs Christiana Salihu, the State Coordinator SWOFON appealed to the government to assist women farmers across the 20 local governments of the state and create a separate budget line for women farmers.
She called for the need for continuous training for women farmers on modern farming tools and best agricultural practices to improve productivity and fight the food crisis