CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is in West Africa between Latitudes 4° to 14° North and between Longitudes 2°2` and 14° 30` East. To the north, the country is bounded by the Niger Republic and Chad; in the west by the Benin Republic, in the East by Cameroon Republic and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Environment of Nigeria (FMEN, 2011) 1993 estimate of irrigated land is 9 570km² and arable land about 35%; 15% pasture; 10% forest reserve; 10% for settlements and the remaining 30% considered uncultivable for one reason or the other. Nigeria is a country with diverse agro-ecological zones, seasons, crops and farming systems. For a majority of people in Nigeria, to this day, agriculture is the main source of livelihood and contributing over 40% of the country`s total GDP. Agriculture is one of the sectors most vulnerable to global climate change impact; the impact is even stronger in Nigeria as it is inherently sensitive to climate variability and climate Change is already impacting on Nigerian Agriculture in various direct and indirect ways. This obviously means an impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, where agriculture is truly essential for the daily subsistence, and where adaptive capacity is low. IPCC (2007) indicated that smallholder and subsistent farmers will suffer complex, localized impacts of climate change. Climate change is already manifesting itself in many ways across the country. Among the indicators, is the 150 percent above normal rainfall that lashed the country in 2012 leaving many homeless, destroying and sacking farm lands? Uncertainties in the onset of the farming season, due to changes in rainfall characteristics; Extreme weather events such as thunderstorms, heavy winds, and floods, devastate farmlands and can lead to crop failure; Insecurity – conflict between farmers and pastoralist and parts of the country that experienced soil erosion and operate rain-fed agriculture could have decline in agricultural yield of up to 50 % between 2000 – 2020 due to increasing impact of climate change (Agoumi, 2003; IPCC, 2007). While climate change affects Nigerian farming and farmers` livelihoods adversely, the converse is also true- Nigerian agriculture, even if not in the same degree as the developed world`s agriculture, does contribute to climate change, Farming activities – bush burning, over grazing, fertilizer application etc. Extreme and unpredictable weather conditions are part of the reality of climate change even as temperature rise and changes in rainfall, changes in pest and disease incidence etc., will also be the stark reality for farmers. What the situation then requires are RESILIENT AND ADAPTIVE FARMING SYSTEMS with the least amount of loss to the productive resources, production and the farmer. One of the most important requirements for adaptation would be farmers` knowledge, in negotiating complex agro-systems. Several large organic farming projects across the world have built successful institutional models for systematic support for farmers` knowledge, innovation and constant enhancement. This forms a key part of the adaptation potential for sustainable agriculture. To address extreme weather conditions, organic farms will be better suited. The better drainage and water holding capacity of organic soils reduces the risk of drought and soil erosion. For instance, Organic farming practices are in a good position to maintain productivity in the event of drought, irregular rainfall events and rising temperatures, notes a technical paper from International Trade Center (WTO) and FiBL. This paper notes that soils under organic management retain significantly more rainwater, thanks to the “sponge properties” of organic matter. Water percolation is 15-20% more in organic systems. Water capture in organic plots was twice as high as conventional plots during torrential rains, which in turn reduces the risk of floods. The most important component of organic systems – diversity- contributes a lot to the resilience of organic farms. Enhanced biodiversity of organic farms have several positive implications- pest prevention, and similar effects on diseases, better utilization of soil nutrients and water etc. organic farming is also associated with decreased irrigation needs by about 30-50%. This becomes an important part of adaptation in drought conditions. Given the mitigation and adaptation potential of organic systems, as well as the potential to increase food security, it becomes imperative to shift agriculture in Nigeria towards more ecological farming models which are sustainable. Further, sustainable agriculture holds great potential for meeting global and national food security requirements even as it leads to improvement of farmers` livelihoods through enhancing their net incomes and improving the productivity of their resources in the long run. KAZEEM AISHA TITILOLA

FOR A GREEN LAND WE MUST BE GREEN

“History teaches us that one of the most effective ways to pull people and entire Nations out of poverty is to invest in their Agriculture”. -Barack Obama. Human Environmental and Development Agenda (HEDA Resource centre) is one of the reputable non- governmental organisations in the field of sustaining the environment in Lagos, Nigeria organised a 4-day program for young people from 8th-11th October, 2012 tagged “Promoting Youth-centred activities in raising awareness and mobilising public support for Food Security and Livelihoods Protection” as part of their commitment to ending hunger, advancing food security while protecting the livelihoods of small scale farmers. The program, which encourages young people to advocate for small scale farmers and inspire them to embracing agriculture; understand the nitty- gritty of food production and distribution and use of social media as a tool for advocacy. Participating in the program helped improve my understanding of the issues plaguing small-scale farmers and use of social media as a tool for advancing my work objectives, it helped to deepen my knowledge of and interest in Agriculture. It also served as an eye opener that Nigerians are majorly fed by SSF and kept as safe as the ancient monks from the perils of the world`s hunger, homelessness and starvation and; made us realize that as young people, we can be the swords of change by giving voice to the voiceless-the small scale farmers. Amazingly, despite my being a graduate of agriculture, I never knew that cassava has seeds. Not only was I stunned seeing cassava seeds, I also couldn’t resist the urge of picking some as take away. Another profound experience I had during the program, one that left an indelible mark on me and makes me to question the decision of the federal government in purchasing and distributing 10 million mobile phones to farmers in Nigeria was the interaction I had with farmers at Oke-Osun narrating their ordeals. I had a one-on one- interaction with a woman farmer in Ilesa, Osun State. These people are faced with numerous challenges ranging from lack of access to basic services- such as information, land, water, extension services; lack of voice; fertilizers; low income etc yet, they strive to bring food to millions of Nigerian households using their available resources but still wallow in poverty. A vegetable farmer on her leased plot in Ilesa, Osun State. These challenges make Nigerian small-scale farmers extremely vulnerable than most to changes-global climate change that are beyond their control. So, this makes me wonder that in light of the weight faced by these farmers, the federal government is offering to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers, as if this should be the priority of the government in addressing issues faced by small scale farmers. It is indisputable that inadequate access of farmers to agricultural information is a key factor limiting the sector’s development in Nigeria and that mobile phones usage in some parts of the world has provided unique platforms towards food security efforts but IS THIS REALLY WHAT THE NIGERIAN RURAL FARMERS NEED NOW? Instead of distributing mobile phones, why not collate farmers’ number through Nigerian Communication Commission database and address the inadequate information via this means? Nigerian government needs to have a rethink on this decision as there is a great need for paradigm shift in information dissemination and management with clear understanding and consideration to the needs of farmers. There is also need to revisit and re- packages the extension workers and services for harnessing the potential in sustainable agriculture, being a resilient farming system to achieve food security. If we have to think, we can as well think big as a country and stop replicating actions and deeds from other countries which might not be good enough for our country.