A buzzword is a word or expression that is fashionable to use at a certain time or place after which its usage diminishes. Buzzwords can be used to simplify concepts and ease understanding. But many people use buzzwords without knowing their meaning. For instance, many public officials use buzzwords not to convey factual meaning but to show-off their new knowledge, make their audience feel on the same page and attract attention. If used in appropriate context and knowledge of their meaning, buzzwords enrich presentations and help users connect with their audience.
Buzzwords are relished by the media and politics. Michael Loughlin in his 2002 article "On the buzzword approach to policy formation”, argues that buzzwords are used in contexts which "privileges rhetoric over reality, producing policies that are 'operationalized' first and only 'conceptualized' later" and the resulting political speech is always "eschewing reasoned debate and instead employing language exclusively for the purposes of control and manipulation”. Now how are buzzwords related to value chains?
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Value chains refer to activities that bring a product from conception through the phases of production, delivery to final consumers and, disposal after use. Agrofood value chain development (VCD) engages stakeholders in promoting chain improvement. Successful VCD requires positive mindsets of stakeholders, creates a platform for activities co-ordination with a goal to create shared benefit. VCD is presently a trending buzzword because evidence suggests VCD alleviates poverty and improves food security. VCD is spearheaded by governments, private sector and non-profits. But, how is VCD connected to lip service?
Lip service is the verbal expression of agreement to something unsupported by real conviction or action. It is hypocritical, insincere support expressed for something without action. Since Nigeria realized that one day oil will stop being the backbone of her economy, politicians became fond of verbally expressing their support for agriculture as the route to avoiding impending financial Armageddon. However, this insincere support has never been backed by conviction nor action. Now that the trending issue in agriculture is value chains, in their usual manner, politicians, have started the perfunctory use of value chains with intension to impress and not to improve agriculture.
Some instances may help buttress this point. In August 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari, while receiving the President of IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) on a visit, urged Nigerians to stop paying lip service to agriculture and invest in the sector. He admitted that APC campaigned heavily with agriculture and promised to develop agriculture as an alternative revenue earner to dwindling oil revenue. The question is, is it the first time such a statement would be made and no action taken? Certainly no! In November 2016, the House of Representatives in plenary warned the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop paying lip service to agriculture by theorizing that agriculture is the way to diversifying the nation’s economy. This happened as Rep Emmanuel Akpan of Akwa Ibom moved a motion for the revival of large-scale production of oil palm in the country. Other members hailed the motion as a wake-up call for the executive to implement aspects of the motion. Celebrating the World Food Day in Port Harcourt in October 2016, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Onimim Jack, a graduate of law, said the event was aimed at bringing together stakeholders in agriculture value chain to showcase and educate farmers and the public on agricultural procedures, technologies and best practices. I began to wonder what best practices can be taught to farmers in a single day’s event. Situations where politicians from executive to legislature advise the public to stop paying lip service to value chain development or just passing the buck is alarming. What this means is that they are either showing-off a trending buzzword or lack ideas on what to do. The cost of their ignorance is huge to the economy.
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In November 2016, Dr Sanginga, the DG of International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan while addressing the IITA Board said Africa should stop paying lip service to agriculture because it will cost Africa $110 billion in food imports by 2025. Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and the continent’s top food importer. So, the warning applies to Nigeria more than any other African country. Agriculture Minister, Mr. Audu Ogbe, a graduate of French, in July 2016 lamented Nigeria huge expenditure (I would say ‘waste’) of $20 billion USD annually on importing food items like rice, wheat, sugar, fish and others. At the present exchange rate of N500 to a USD, it means that Nigeria waste TEN TRILLION NAIRA per annum to import food. Beside high food import bills, other effects of the lip service across the agriculture chain include poor consumer protection, poor support for agriculture research and uptake; no loans or loans with difficult hurdles for farmers; inconsistent agriculture sector policies; poor electricity supply, transportation system, storage facilities; weak market access and the like. We need solutions to problems.
The solution is multidimensional. First, we need agricultural professionals to oversee agriculture ministries. The good work Dr Akinwumi Adesina a graduate of Agricultural Economics as the Minister of Agriculture under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is self-evident. Ministerial advisers can only advise but when the Minister has no clue of what is been advised, the wrong advice will be used.
We need a functional agrologistics system. Netherlands, one of the top countries in agrofood value chains development is also the top in agrologistics in the world. Nigeria needs serious upgrade of roads, rail, water, air transport and internet infrastructure, the backbones of logistics. Agricultural value chains cannot develop with underdeveloped agrologistics.
Private sector contribution to agrofood chains development cannot be ignored. In serious countries, agrofood chains are powered by private sector enticed by government enabled business environment like strong security; functional public infrastructure; strong legal system, currency and favourable ease of doing business.
The mentality that agrofood development means exposing unemployed youth and women to one week training and providing them with double digit thousands of naira to start agro-allied businesses in the name of empowerment for value chain development must change. To create high impact, big and tested entrepreneurs must be enticed to invest in agriculture.
The rush to export primary agricultural products when local food demand is not yet satisfied is not in our best interest. A case in point is the recently celebrated demand by the Chinese for Nigeria’s yam. Nigeria should first develop value chains to provide food and income for Nigerians before going global. What is happening in the oil sector where crude oil is cheaply sold and value added petroleum products imported exorbitantly must be avoided. Applying these solutions with sincerity and commitment would make Nigeria’s agrofood value chains sector a sweet story to tell.
Dr. Ingweye is an Agrofood Value Chains Development consultant and lectures in the Department of Animal Science, University of Port Harcourt. Contact:[email protected];+2348032573003
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