ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE OCT 2023

Agriculture
Prof. Adaba Ibim
P
rof. Adaba Ibim is a Professor of Fisheries Biology and
Management at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
She holds a Master of Technology in Fisheries, and a Doctor
of Philosophy in Hydrobiology and Fisheries from the Federal
University of Technology, Minna and the University of Port Harcourt,
respectively. In addition to these, she holds a Post-Graduate
Diploma in Research Methodology from University of Pretoria,
South Africa and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Participatory
Fisheries-Governance from Wageningen International, Wageningen
University, Wageningen, The Netherlands where she had a
Certificate in Catfish Breeding and Certificate in Tilapia Breeding.
She also received Scholarship/Fellowship Awards in 2006 to 2007
from Winthorpe Rockefeller (WINROCK)/Ford Foundation/African
Women Leaders in A`griculture and Environment (AWLAE) Partial
Scholarship.
She initiated a programme for breeding and commercializing
ornamental fishes at the University of Port Harcourt and has been
at the forefront of fishery species diversification and breeding as
a passion. She also engages in collaboration with government,
Fish Farmers Associations and other organisations established to
develop the fisheries sub-sector.
Accomplish Magazine: How would you describe the huge drop of
agriculture as a major forex
earner compared to how it was
at independence?
Adaba Ibim: Agriculture is
one of the major sectors in
Nigeria as it remains a strong
foundation of the country’s
economy. It also has its symbolic
place in Nigeria’s history with
the “green” in the country’s
national flag depicting the
prominence of agriculture - due
to the progressive roles it has
played years back.
Many agricultural products
were produced in different
parts of the country and were
exported as cash products.
However, some years after
Nigeria’s independence,
agriculture began a steady and
unending decline. That decline
affected virtually every product
in the agricultural sector.
Livestock, crop production,
fishing (aquaculture) and
forestry development in general
became under-exploited.
Many factors have led to this
avoidable situation. It has been
largely influenced by increased
insecurity in several parts of
the country, continuous use
of outdated land or farming
systems instead of advanced
technologies and lack of
supportive financial options to
finance both inputs and postproducts.
Other challenges are
land degradation and increased
natural disasters impacted by
climate change and illiteracy of
farmers as most are not formally
educated.
Accomplish Magazine:
As Nigeria marks its 63rd
Independence Day, what do
you think should be done to
make recover lost grounds in
agriculture?
Adaba Ibim: To change the
narrative, governments at all
levels must do the following:
i. Enabling environments
should be created to ensure
better agricultural and financing
policies while providing
thorough solutions that will end
the insecurity problems.
ii. Optimizing the agricultural
value-chain across the country.
iii. Introducing functional
youth empowerment agricultural
schemes.
iv. Converting governmentowned
lands into farm plots
for intensive agricultural
development for Nigerian
youths.
v. Engaging communities
to donate lands for intensive
agricultural development.
vi. Providing inputs (not cash)
and soft loans to cushion labour
costs.
vii. Engaging off-takers of
agricultural products in order
to provide ready markets that
will enhance productivity and
reduce post-harvest wastages.
viii. Governments should
attract agro-processing plants
in order to promote commercial
agriculture and export of
agricultural products that
guarantee youth employment.
ix. More youths should be
encouraged to engage in
agriculture through regular
trainings and sensitization
programmes; etc.
The Federal Government
should partner with financial
institutions to support
agriculture in the states in order
to provide soft loans to real
farmers - not ‘portfolio farmers’.
Government should create
and regularly update data base
of farmers in respective states
(and local government councils)
so the farmers can be reached
easily whenever the need arises.
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