By Gloria Ikibah
As a way to support the efforts of the Federal Government to tackle rising food crisis in the country, the House of Representatives is considering a bill which seeks direct involvement of the military in farming, ranching and other agricultural-related activities in Nigeria.
The bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Armed Forces Farms and Ranches Scheme, Enhance Food Security, Promote Economic Diversification and for Other Related Matters,” was passsed first reading on the floor of the House last week, and is sponsored by Rep. Babajimi Benson, member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that in July 2024, the Federal Government, directed that the lands owned by the military be used for agricultural purposes, as part of efforts to mitigate the ongoing food crisis in the country.
In addition, Vice President Kashim Shettima last week received a delegation from the World Food Programme at the Aso Rock Villa, in, where he restated the commitment of the Tinubu-led administration to address the challenges of food insecurity.
This piece of legislation stipulates that the “Armed Forces Farms and Ranches Scheme shall be implemented by the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the supervision of the Minister of Defence in collaboration with relevant government agencies, private sector partners and international organisations.”
Section 3 of the bill listed the objective of the scheme to include “Enhancing national food security by increasing agricultural production; utilising military resources for large-scale farming projects and promoting economic diversification by fostering the development of agriculture as a viable alternative to the oil-dependent economy.”
Others are “To empower communities through the establishment of large-scale agricultural projects as well as providing agricultural training and opportunities for military personnel and civilians.”
Part III of the bill deals with the functions and powers of the scheme. “The scheme shall allocate military-controlled arable land for farming activities; provide training and capacity-building programmes for military personnel and local farmers and collaborate with other government agencies , private sector partners and international organisations for funding, technology and expertise,” sub-section 4 of Part III reads.
The Scheme shall have the power to “Acquire, hold and manage arable land for the purpose of agricultural production and implement integrated farming systems, including crop cultivation, livestock rearing and fish farming,” among others.
When passed into law, the scheme shall be managed by a board led by a chairperson to be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of Defence.
Other members of the management board shall include representatives from “All services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Ministries of Agriculture and Finance, two representatives from the private sector with expertise in agriculture and/or agribusiness.”
Also included is “A representative from an international organisation with agricultural expertise or a recognized agricultural research institution.”
In Part VI (14),the bill provides for the funding of the scheme “Through annual budgetary allocation from the Federal Government.”
Other sources of funding shall include “Grants, donations and loans from local and international avenues and revenues generated from the sale of agricultural produce and value-added products.
14 (2) provides for the establishment of a dedicated fund known as “The Armed Forces Farms and Ranches Scheme Fund, for the management of financial resources.”
To promote accountability and transparency, the bill in Section 15 (2) makes provision for the yearly audit of the scheme’s finances.
“The accounts of the scheme shall be audited annually by the Office of the Auditor General For the Federation and a report shall be submitted to the National Assembly,” the sub-section reads.