Ijewere says Land Use Act hinders commercial farming

Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere, Coordinator and Vice President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), has said the controversial 1977 Land Use Act does not really constitute a major disincentive to farming in the country since between 85 to 90 per cent of farmers in the country are small holders who operate mainly on family land holdings.
 
Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere
 Coordinator and Vice President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG)
Ijewere said the Act, however, is a major hindrance to successful commercial farming in the country because it makes freehold ownership of land impossible and only allows leases of 99 years for non-family ownership of land in the country.

The NABG boss who gave the explanation recently while speaking as a guest at the monthly forum of Nigeria Association of Agriculture Journalists (NAAJ) in Lagos said the Land Use Act was intended to make land accessible for development but it has been subjected to abuse by some people in government.

He disclosed that a commission has been set up to review the Land Use Act as part of an effort to dilute the power of state governors and encourage commercial farming across the country.

He said: “The Land Use Act is not the major source of disadvantage to agriculture, it is important to reform the Act. It is important to make it easier. It is important to take it out of the hands of one man in a state who can give it out as he pleases, It must be guided by principles.

“For the vast majority of farmers in Nigeria, their main problem right now is not land but market for their products, input, logistics and how to preserve their products.”

He added that since Nigeria is now self-sufficient in cassava production, NABG is working with the government to ensure that end products like ethanol, sugar and renewable energies in the value chain are properly harnessed.

Ijewere , who is also  a member of the National Economic Forum, attributed the leap in rice production to favourable agriculture policies by the government that have also encouraged local producers of tomatoes and palm oil, among other farm produce. “Now almost all the states in the country grow rice. The revolution in agriculture is no longer the type we use to have in the 80s and 90s. It has changed. As at today, we believe that at the rate we are going, Nigeria should be able to export rice by end of 2018.”


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