THE CURRENT STATE OF AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT AND HOW IT AFFECTS CONFLICTS IN THE NIGER DELTA AREA BY AHIMOTA AYADEI DICKSON

Introduction Agriculture is the principal investment of rural people (FAO, 2006), a source of income and employment (IFAD, 2002; World Bank, 2008), an antidote to environmentally induced conflicts, thus a source of peace among rural dwellers (de Soysa and Gleditsch, 1999). The effective take-off of the economic, industrial and technological development of any nation hinges on a sound agricultural base. The ND people depended on agriculture for a living before oil discovery. Today, agriculture is pushed into the backwaters in preference to crude petroleum which is not only an inexhaustible resource but beyond the exploitation of the rural Niger Delta people. Hunger, starvation, poverty, unemployment, and conflicts [struggle over perceived destruction of agricultural resources (land including waters), communal conflicts, struggle over land and economic resources] are evident.

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States Abia state  Abia oil Company Ltd.  Ogwe Modern Poultry Farms  The Cashew Complex  Songhai Integrated Farm on 55ha. Land at Okwoi, Ibeku for plantain, banana, and pineapples  200ha in Ndiebe, Abam/Bendefor rice and fish farming  Partnering with the private sector, the 5 ton industrial oil palm mill at Ohambele is reactivated. Reactivated 2,600 ha (1,500 ha with improved seedlings) oil palm estate at Ohambele. Reactivating 2000 ha at Ulonna North/South Ozutem/Anamba. Ordered 1 million improved seedlings to replant fallow areas of the plantation  The Unified Agric Extension System (UAES) based on the World Bank supported T& V in place.  Livestock and Fisheries production complement crop production  Agric & inland fisheries development receiving support from FAO

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (cont.) Akwa Ibom State  5000 ha oil palm plantation under the Community Project Development Scheme (CPDS)  State govt. assistance to private oil palm farmers with funds and farm inputs  State govt and Trans4nation Agritech UK/Vietnam signed MOU for commercial production of rice for export. State to provide land (10,000ha), foreign partners to fund project. 4,000 to be employed.  Accelerated Livestock and Fish Production Program (ALFPP). 3 poultry hatcheries and 10 fish farm estates. 30,000 jobs to be provided  The Integrated Farmers Scheme has recruited, trained and empowered 930 youths with soft loan facility N500,000 each to establish agro0enterprises  Three cassava processing centres in 3 LGAs  The Itu irrigation and flood control project to develop and open up 2,000ha of land in Itu for all year round farming  Accelerated Livestock production. N11.8 billion to be provided in phases and 100,000 persons to be employed  Commercial Agriculture Development Program. Tractors and implements distributed to farmers at 40% subsidy  Akwa Ibom Food Reserve Program. 180,000 metric tons of food storage and processing infrastructure at Abak at a cost of !.5 billion for take-off.

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Bayelsa State Bayelsa Agricultural Development Company Limited (Government owned) has the following subsidiaries:  Niger Delta Seafoods Ltd.  Bayelsa Farms Ltd.  Creek Foods Ltd.  Bayelsa Palms Ltd. Apart from these, the state ministry claims to be involved in the following activities  Shrimp Culture Project  National Food Security Program  Community-Based National Resources Management Program  Roots and Tuber Expansion Project  Green House Vegetable Project  Agriculture Extension Scheme in Collaboration with the Bio-Resources Development Centre, Odi  Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) in collaboration with the World Bank

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Cross River State  Cross River Commercial Agric. Dev. Program (CRCADP)  Fadama III Project  Cross River Agricultural and Rural Empowerment Scheme (CRARES)  IFAD/FGN/NDDC Community Based Natural Resource Management Program  Cross River Agricultural Development Program (CRADP)  Songhai Cross River Initiative ( SCRI)  Cross River Farm Credit Scheme  Project Awake  Growth Enhancement Support Scheme

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Delta State  The state accords various forms of assistance to farmers in the areas of fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, vertinary services, etc.  The state encourages farmers through: Delta Agricultural Development Program (DADP) Task Force on Communal Farming Agricultural Loan Scheme to Small Scale Farmers Fishermen Farm Settlement Scheme

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Edo State  Okomu oil (palm oil)  Presco Industries PLc (Siat Nigeria Ltd. holds 60% of capital shares) produces olein, sterain, palm kernel oil, palm kernel cake, fatty acid.  Iyaye rubbers  Deffy green (oil palm)  A & Hatman (palm oil)

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Imo State (Tropical Rainforest)  Fourth Tier Community Governance (every community to focus on cultivation of specific crops and animal husbandry. This is the ROCHANOMICS Theory and of the principle of OHASHARISM  Each community to plant at least 200,000 improved oil palm seedlings. This will bring about an economically independent state and create opportunity for the unemployed youths.  The Mechanized Imo Modern Poultry Farm at Avutu Obowo LGA, has taken the lead in private fish farming.  Fadama II  Massive production and processing of rice in Arondizuogu, Ideato North (Govt to take over rice mill)  investors invited in rice and palm oil production Cash crops (oil palm, raffia palm, rice, groundnut, melon, cotton, cocoa, rubber, maize, etc.)} {Food crops (yam, cassava, cocoyam, maize)}

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Ondo State Investment Opportunities  Extensive fertile soil suitable for agriculture with Sub-Savannah forest suitable cattle grazing in the northern fringes  Largest producer of cocoa  Other cash crops – rubber, cashew, kola nut, oil palm, etc.

Current Agricultural Developments in some Niger Delta States (Cont.) Rivers State  The rivers State Government established the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency which established the Songhai Rivers Farm Initiative. This seen as a massive investment in agriculture by the Rivers State government  The agency in collaboration with Onida Development, an Isreali Company, also established the Onida Tilapia Project in Buguma, Rivers State  Siat Nigeria Ltd holds 100% former Rison Palm estate which comprises 16,000ha  NEPAD Integrated Farms Initiatives. Setting up integrated farms in the three senatorial districts. First farm in Kpite in Tai LGA  Rivers State has a total land mass of 1,940,000ha out of which 760,000ha is cultivable area.

Niger Delta State Governments, Agricultural Investments and Conflict Nexus In Nigeria, so much importance is attached to crude oil production to the detriment of investment in agriculture. Sectoral contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  Crude oil rose steadily from an infinitesimal 0.3% (1960), 7.1% (1970), 22.0% (1980), 12.8% (1990), 47.5% (2000) to 40.6% (2002)  Agriculture nosedived from an appreciable 64.1% (1960), 47.6% (1970), 30.8% (1980), 39.0% (1990), 35.7% (2000) to 28.4% (2002).

Niger Delta State Governments, Agricultural Investments and Conflict Nexus Agricultural investments can be used to reduce the current hunger and starvation, anger, youth unemployment rating and conflicts in the Niger Delta States.  A lot of the agricultural projects the N.D. state governments claimed to be going on are mere political statements for image launderings (political gains) and not realities  Budgetary provisions are just on paper and not implemented  Land portions acquired for agricultural investment by governments. spore new conflicts  Suitable investment climate in the form of provision of farm inputs for local farmers is absent or abysmal.  Marketing Boards to buy over excess agric. Produce absent  Genuine efforts are not made to attract foreign investors agriculture  Opportunities for employment or training are cornered by political appointees and influential people lone  State and local government authorities in the Niger Delta area are in the habit of shifting responsibilities to the oil companies in spite of the fact they took oat to work for the well being of the masses.

Conclusion From the fore-goings, though agricultural investments expectedly should have positive impact on the ND states, the actions and inactions of the state governments have generated negative impacts and the conflict circle continuous in the ND states.