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The Budget Committee of a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kwara State has called on the state government to increase its agriculture budget to meet the 10% benchmark set by the Maputo/Malabo Declaration and Commitment.
It made this call during a news conference in Ilorin, where they analyzed the 2025 Kwara State Agriculture Budget.
The group noted that Kwara State, as a signatory to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, fell short of the benchmark with an allocation of only 0.97% to agriculture in the 2025 budget.
It also urged the state government to reconsider and include provisions for youth involvement in agriculture in subsequent budgets, to encourage young people to participate meaningfully in the sector and help harness the state’s agricultural potential for the benefit of all citizens.
The group recommended that the state government partners relevant stakeholders and expressed its commitment to collaborating with the government to achieve its agricultural goals.
It also encouraged the state government to establish more farm estates to engage and productively utilize youths, who are the driving force behind agricultural industrial growth.
The news conference was organized by the Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication in conjunction with the Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
The event was attended by members of Scaling Up Public Investment in Agriculture, AGRO-GEO, and other organizations.
By Baba Mohammed
