Emerging Issues for the Formulation of Policy on Agri-Input Delivery System in Nigeria

Abstract

In Nigeria, the perennial inefficient distribution system of farm inputs, namely fertilizer, seed and crop protection products, represents a major constraint to achieving food security. This chapter aims to determine the key issues involved in the formulation of agri-input policy for the country, and to interrogate these issues with a view to facilitating policy implementation. The analysis of agri-input delivery system was conducted within the context of a development communication framework, which had as its main elements the specific package of inputs as a policy message, originating from a source and passing through a channel to be delivered to a target. In this framework, were identified the various policy bottlenecks associated with each segment of input flow from factory gate to farm gate as a noise, which obstructed the free flow of the agri-input message in its passage from the source through the channel to the target. The negative consequences of these noise elements on the performance of agriculture has manifested in the status of the country as a net importer of food items combined with input import dependence on other countries of the world. The main issues under focus belonged in the political economy and governance, as well as structural and systemic categories. The conclusion reached was that a rule-based, evidence-led and internally consistent policy articulation and strategy formulation was required for enhancing the performance of the agri-input delivery system of the country.