Nigerian experts point to gap between researchers, farmers and policymakers
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
At the first virtual episode of the Agricultural Policy Circle, organised by Farmosphere, agricultural experts said the gap between farmers, researchers and policymakers undermines the effectiveness of agricultural policies. Researcher Ifunanya Orisekeh explains that research priorities are often set before reaching farming communities, according to Vanguard.
Agricultural experts say the disconnect between farmers, researchers and policymakers undermines the effectiveness of agricultural policies and programmes in Nigeria, Vanguard reports. They are calling for greater farmer participation in research design and policy formulation.
According to them, research priorities are often set without regard for farmers' immediate needs. Policy implementation is held back by a lack of funding, institutional bottlenecks and poor communication of results. They were speaking at the virtual inaugural episode of the Agricultural Policy Circle, organised by Farmosphere, on the theme of the gap between research, policy and practice.
Agriculture researcher Ifunanya Orisekeh says research questions are sometimes defined before researchers even arrive in the communities. Agendas depend on funding calls, academic requirements and institutional timelines. "We are very good at answering questions that farmers have never asked," she said.
She says research can take three to four years to produce results, by which time farmers' circumstances may have changed. She also criticises the habit of measuring a project’s success by the number of farmers trained, without checking whether they continue the recommended practices. She cites conservation agriculture, largely abandoned once the project ends. She also points to the mismatch between research timelines and farming seasons, the low representation of some categories of farmers and the lack of feedback of results to communities.
Olaoluwa Farotimi, founder of AgricIncome Hub and director of Maxipharo Farms, also cited insufficient access to credit and market instability.
