INVESTMENT IN
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
AND IMPACT ON
FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL
SECURITY IN NIGERIA
Paper Presented at the 2014
National Agricultural Show
Seminar,
13 th Oct., 2014,
Nasarawa State.
By
Prof. B. Y. Abubakar, OFR
Executive Secretary

INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
Sustainable agricultural growth requires greater emphasis on productivity growth in view of declining cultivable areas
Application of innovative techniques for agricultural production is a fundamental and crucial step in improving livelihoods in most societies
There is generally a strong correlation between increased agricultural research investment and agricultural productivity.
Our priority - Ensure that research makes the greatest possible contribution to raising human welfare using the limited available resources while attracting more investments
This presentation examines investments in agricultural research and it’s impact on food security in Nigeria.

WHY INVEST IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH?
Poor funding of research leads to inability to deliver improved agricultural technologies, achieve increased productivity and other related benefits
There is a high rate of return to society on investments in hg agricultural research.
For example, for every US dollar spent on agricultural research in 2010 in Brazil, US$9.35 accrued to the society
SOURCES OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FUNDING IN NIGERIA
Primary source of funding is the Federal Government
Private sector investments are negligible
Capital Budget releases are usually incomplete (about 50% of approved ) and often out of tune with research work plans

Investment in agricultural research doubled between 2000 & 2008 owing to high personnel cost and increased capital allocation. However, allocations
demonstrated a high level of fluctuation and instability (Figure 1)
12,00
10,00
8,00
6,00
4,00
2,00
0,00
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Year
Figure 1: Nominal Capital budgetary allocation to NARIs (2000-2014)
Note: 2009 figure includes ₦ 1B released under CARGS, while 2012, 2013 and 2014 includes R&D allocations of ₦ 2.25B,
₦ 2.71B and 0.70B, under the ATA in Ministry’s budget

… AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SPENDING TREND IN NIGERIA
Personnel cost takes major share of agricultural research spending in
Nigeria (Figure 2)
Investment in agriculture research and development averaged about 0.5% of AgGDP; below the SSA average of 0.6% and the commitment of 1%
Capital
26%
Overhead
6%
Personnel
68%
Figure 2: Distribution of 2014 budgetary allocations to agricultural research in Nigeria
Source: Abubakar (2014)

… AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SPENDING TREND IN NIGERIA
The national expenditure in major imports by far outweighs agricultural research investments in
Nigeria. For example, 1 week rice import = 2010 Capital allocation to NARIs ( ₦ 6.9 Billion)
Between 61 and 79% of capital allocations to agricultural research institutes was spent on
infrastructural development, while 21-39% was spent on research activities between 2005 and 2009 (Figure 3)
’08
4
‘05
1
0% 20% 40% 60%
Share of capital (%)
80% 100%
Figure 3: Comparison between Research and Infrastructural allocations by NARIs (2005-2009)
Source: Malomo (2013)
Research
Infrastructure

Nigeria has made significant progress in food security status (Figures 4-6) and that explains why the country achieved MDG 1 about 2 years ahead of the target date
Between 1990 and
2013, Nigeria’s GHI has decreased by about
41%
Prevalence of malnutrition decreased by about 31% between
1990 and 2011
Mortality rate for children under 5 years in
Nigeria decreased by about 39% between
1999 and 2013
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1985 1990 1995 2000
Year
2005 2010 2015
Figure 4: Trend of Global Hunger Index for Nigeria

… PERFORMANCE OF NIGERIA IN FOOD SECURITY
35,0
30,0
25,0
20,0
15,0
10,0
5,0
0,0
Figure 5: Prevalence of food inadequacy in Nigeria (1990 – 2012)
Prevalence of food inadequacy reduced by about 67% between
1990 and 2010

… PERFORMANCE OF NIGERIA IN FOOD SECURITY
The number of undernourished people decreased by about 55% between 1990 and 2010
25,0
20,0
15,0
10,0
5,0
0,0
Figure 6: Number of undernourished people in Nigeria

Table 1: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
AND FOOD SECURITY INDICATORS IN NIGERIA
Class of food security indicator
Food security indicator Correlation
Food availability Average dietary energy supply adequacy HP
Share of dietary energy supply derived from cereals and roots HP
Food accessibility
Food stability
Average supply of protein (gr/cap/day)
Average supply of protein of animal origin
Average value of food production
Depth of food deficit
Prevalence of food inadequacy
Prevalence of undernourishment
Domestic food price volatility index
Cereal import dependency ratio
Per capita food supply variability
HP
HP
LP
HN
HN
HN
HN
LN
MN
Note: HP = High +; LP = Low +; MP = Medium +;
Improved investment in agricultural research will lead to better availability and access to food as well as reducing vulnerability to food insecurity in Nigeria

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIES AND
IMPACT ON FOOD SECURITY
A study commissioned by ARCN showed that over 170 agricultural technologies were developed by the NARIs from 1997 – 2008
(ARCN, 2010).
Over 50 technologies have been developed by NARIs, universities and other stakeholders under CARGS in the course of implementation of the scheme.
In 2008 – 2009, ARCN also commissioned a series of impact assessment studies of technologies developed by the NARIs to measure benefits to end-users
The studies revealed that agricultural technologies in Nigeria had positive social and economic impacts on adopters and other endusers

… AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIES AND IMPACT
ON FOOD SECURITY
Annual mean monetary gain to society ranged from low for early bearing cocoa variety to high for six rice varieties studied (Table
2).
Adopters of many of the technologies were found to be more food secured than non-adopters.
Both expenditure and income-base poverty gap indices indicated worsening poverty towards non-adopters.
Other social gains abound

Table 2: Monetary gains to society from varietal improvement and adoption in Nigeria
NARI
CRIN
NRCRI*
NCRI**
IAR***
LCRI
NAPRI
Commodity
Cocoa
Cassava
Rice
Maize
Millet
Chicken
Technology
Early bearing variety
(precocity)
TMS 30572
NR 8082
FARO 44, 46 & 52
FARO 48 & 51
FARO 55
SAMAZ-11
LCIC-MV-1
ShikaBrown Layer
Year of
Release
2004
1990
1998
1992
2001
2003
2000
2000
2000
Monetary gain to society
Low
Moderate
High
Moderate
Moderate
High
Note: *Developed by IITA, Ibadan and NRCRI, Umudike; **Developed by IITA, IRRI, ArficaRice and adapted by NCRI;
***Developed by IAR, Zaria and IITA, Ibadan
Source: Phillips et al. (2009, 2010)

Massive and sustained public and private investments in R&D are required in order for agriculture to benefit from developed technologies.
Need to target technologies that enhance improving efficiency of farmers’ use of agricultural inputs.
Need to separate research funds from capital budget to ensure timely releases and increased research outputs.
Need for greater focus on adding value to outputs from primary production through processing .
Improve research-extension linkages towards enhancing the social benefits derivable from agricultural research investments.

Improving agricultural research investment would result in better food security status in Nigeria.
Owing to the time lag between investment and research output, there is need for sustainable improved resources mobilization for agricultural research operations in
Nigeria.
Hence, the justification to reform and restructure the research system to be more responsive to the needs of end-users.