Rural and Water Development Policies in Agribusiness

In the last article, it was noted how the government developed strategies for the communication of improved materials, better methods, and ideas from research institutes through the extension delivery system, which is primarily the ADP. In addition, it was also noted that training and manpower needs were addressed through the establishment of training institutions.

As part of the multi-sectoral policy towards agricultural transformation, rural development and water resources development policies were introduced. These policies have their bearings on agribusiness development and have recorded successes while facing some challenges.

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Rural Development Policy

It has been estimated that over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population lives in rural areas, with the majority involved in agricultural activities. To improve the quality of life for rural people, stem the tide of rapid rural-urban migration, and promote sustained and orderly development in rural Nigeria. s

Successive governments adopted rural development policies and strategies, establishing several agencies and programs. Although the rural development goal does not rely entirely on small farmers' agricultural progress, it implies much more. The policy objectives include:

1. Improvement in the quality of life for rural people, including income, employment, education, health, nutrition, housing, and related social services.
2. Reducing inequality in the distribution of rural incomes and addressing urban-rural imbalances in income and economic opportunities.
3. Promoting sustained and orderly development of the vast resources available in rural areas for the benefit of the rural population.
4. Creating an infrastructural base that is conducive to profitable investment.
5. Enhancing the rural sector's capacity to sustain and accelerate the pace of improvements over time.

Rural Development Policy Instruments

The rural development policy instruments deployed included the provision of basic infrastructure such as roads to facilitate input supply and agricultural product evacuation, pipe-borne water, electrification, education and healthcare facilities, as well as improved access to financial assistance. The major agencies and programs used were:

1. Directorate of Food, Roads, and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI)
2. National Directorate of Employment (NDE)
3. Better Life/Family Support Programme
4. Life Enhancement Programme
5. National Poverty Alleviation Programme

However, the objectives of rural development were not fully met, as the infrastructure provided was not sufficient to stop rural-urban migration in search of better opportunities. The rural areas continue to suffer from poor power supply, inadequate road networks, insufficient potable water supply, and other infrastructure-related issues.

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Water Resources Development Policy

The broad objective of the water resources development policy was to adopt a comprehensive regional approach toward integrated water development. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) were established and empowered as agencies to implement this policy.

The major functions of the RBDAs included:

1. The development of underground water resources.
2. Control of floods and erosion.
3. Construction and maintenance of dams, dykes, polders, wells, boreholes, irrigation, and drainage systems.

Unfortunately, this integrated approach to water resources development and utilization was not sustained, due largely to policy inconsistencies regarding the number of operational RBDAs and their functions.

For instance, the number of RBDAs, which was 11 in 1977, was increased to 18 in 1984 but later reduced to 9 in 1986, with their activities limited to water resource management.

By 1987, the identifiable functions of the RBDAs were extended to cover the operation and maintenance of roads and bridges linking project sites, as well as maintaining up-to-date records of water resources, water use, and socio-economic data on the functional RBDAs.

In 1992, the government adopted the partial commercialization policy, an attempt to partially commercialize the River Basin Development Authorities as a means of increasing the revenue base of the authorities outside government subventions. However, the government still supports the authorities in carrying out their statutory functions in the development of the agricultural sector.

Challenges of Water Resources Development

Conflicts of sectoral interests and the absence or lack of coordination among stakeholders have constrained effective water resource management, resulting in the non-optimization of water resources. Policy inconsistencies, such as changes in the number and mandates of the RBDAs, have further compounded the challenges (Ngene et al., 2021).

Rural development strategies and institutions have recorded some success in the development of rural areas. However, they need to be repositioned for better results. Similarly, water resources development strategies require better coordination and policy stability to achieve their intended objectives.

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