Agriculture
RUGA Gets N2.2bn in 2019 Budget
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) Matters, Senator Ita Enang has called on States in the southern part of the country to support the implementation of the proposed Ruga cattle settlement programme by making land available.
The Presidential aide disclosed that a whopping N2.
258 billion was provided for the implementation of the Ruga programme in the 2019 budget.Enang is who made the appeal at the weekend when he hosted Students of Law School Abuja from Akwa Ibom State, said that the word – Ruga is not derived from Hausa or Fulani, but an acronym for Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) initiated in 1956 during the colonial era and is not intended to islamize, fulanized or colonize anybody.
Supporting his claims, Enang cited the 2019 federal budget, volume 1 under the ministry of agricultural and rural development item number ERGP 5208 where the sum of N2.258bn was provided and budgeted for the grazing programme.
He maintained that the national assembly members are not against the Ruga programme because they aware of it and had been approving funds for it’s implementation.
Besides the over N2 billion appropriated for the Ruga there were also budgeted sum of N300 million for water sanitation, N400 million development for sweet potatoes, N350 million for ginger development amongst several other budgeted.
He said that the ruga policy is just one component of the budget under the ministry of agriculture.
Though President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the suspension of the Programme following a widespread protest against the implementation of the Programme in most states across the country especially in the middle belt and southern region.
But the presidential aide stressed that the objective of the budget for ruga is to promote cattle breeding and meet production.
He explained that the ruga programme is an integrated farm system which has schools, good road, tractors and mechanisatiom, agricultural integration.
with a provision for primary healthcare, vetinery, schools.
Senator Enang callee on the governor of Akwa Ibom State to also provide land for the establishment of RUGA in the states while urging the federal government to include his state amongst the benefiting states.
He, however, disclosed that asides the budgeted sum for Ruga in the 2019 expenditure, there is another sum provided for the emergency Ruga implementation programme approved in May by the National Economic Council for states that will make land available.
Enang said that since 1999 he has been hosting students of Law School from Akwa Ibom State but this was specifically to enlighten them on the objective of Ruga programme against the misconceptions making the orunds .
Enang served in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2011, the elected senate in 2011 to 2015 and appointed SSA to the President on National Assembly (Senate) matters to date.
”One of the rumours was that President Buhari was going to acquire land people’s feed cow, ” he said.
He asked the law students one after the other what they know about Ruga and each and everyone gave his view on the issue.
Some said they have not known much about the real issue because government was yet to enlighten them on it.
Senator Enang said that Ruga is not a Hausa or Fulani word but an acronym for Rural Grazing Areas.
According to him the Ruga programme started in Nigeria since 1956, adding that it is not only for rearing cattle but farming and rearing of other animals.
”Ruga is not a plan to seize land from people neither and it’s not meant to fulanize or colonize anybody.
”The Programme is meant to address the issue of cattle roaming and destruction of farmland which would put an end to the herders/farmers crisis, ” Enang explained.
According to the presidential aide, people in the south have farm settlements and plantations which he equates to Ruga.
”The idea of Ruga graduated in 1978 into the Land Use Act which states that a portion of land has to be reserved for grazing to avoid the destruction of farm produce by cattle.
”Over time cattle roamed and destroyed farms hence the introduction of the policy to address the issue, ” he said.
He noted that in places like the north, earth dams were constructed to cater for cattle.
He expressed shocks over the inability of some states governors to understand the policy.
One of the first Ruga programmes is Obudu Cattle Ranch and the Yankari Games Reserve.
He said that every year there has been allocation for the continuous funding of grazing areas.
The height of the herders/farmers crisis led to the introduction of the ruga policy May 8, by the federal government mostly in the middle belt region and some states in North east and north west.
He said that it was the National Economic Council (NEC) that approved the establishment of the emergency Ruga policy but wondered by some governors were denying been part of the approval.
The FG is not any way trying to takeover anybody’s land for ruga adding that land under the land use act is on the hands of state government.
He faulted the claims by some governors that it was meant to Fulanize peole.
He said that the emergency ruga programme did not involve any state in the South East, South West and the South South because the areas that had the problems were about 10 states mainly North Central, and few states in North West and North East.
Responding to questions from the law students he said in most places wealth is measured by the number of cattle one has.
Senator Enang said that people in the southern part of the country preferred the local cow because it’s more nutritious than the ones brought from the north.
He urged the states in the south to open up their lands for ruga.
He said those in the habit of abusing their leaders who buy into the ruga programme are not well informed on the policy adding that their representatives in the national assembly unanimously passed the budget for Ruga and the ministers from all the states of the federation also approved the ruga at NEC.
He further highlighted that each state has a representative at the Federal executive council just like NASS.
He said that the president is very sensitive to the plight of Nigerian hence the call for the suspension of the Ruga picy.
The Ruga is an investment programme that will generate money for the state and the country at large.
Ruga (Rural Grazing Areas) started in 1956.
He appealed to all Nigerians to stop politicizing the implementation of the ruga policy.
He said that if lawyers understand, the world will understand.
The students appreciated the senator appealing to government to increase its public enlightenment programme to enable the citizens understand better its policies and programmes in order to avoid rancor.
Ndifrake Inyang, leader of the Akwa Ibom State Students of the Nigerian Law School, Abuja Campus, said: “We came here today to pay a courtesy call on Senator Ita Enang in keeping with his 20 years tradition of hosting law students being that he is a lawyer we came to learn from his wealth of experience.
“Today the distinguished senator took a different dimension by enlightening us on the issue of Rural Grazing Area (RUGA).
I recalled that about two months ago there was crisis in Taraba and Benue states. While I was growing up in my own place (Cross River State) we had a similar issue and this has been on for many years.
“Personally, I didn’t have the right notion about RUGA but I reserved my comment on that at that time because as a lawyer you don’t have to talk until you know all the facts. So having known the facts about the entire process, I am happy and I am in better position to educate others on the subject matter.
“Sincerely speaking the RUGA is something that everybody would want to have because of the economic derivatives. I also want the RUGA settlement in my state Akwa Ibom so that there will be employment and our people can benefit from it and also put to an end the national crisis so that we will have one peace Nigeria.”
Another law student Anastasia Ligiounim Ugbaka, an indigene of Obudu, Cross River State, said that the notion by most Nigerians is that the federal government want to take land from the people and islamize the country the RUGA programme.
She urged the government to expand the Obudu Cattle ranch and increase the number of cattle and other animals so as to create jobs.
She advised the federal government that when implement the RUGA policy they should go about it with caution so as not to ignite crisis because some people still hold divergence view on the issue.
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The Federal Government has called for a stronger agricultural value chains, increased agro-industrialisation and improved market access to boost food security in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr.
Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the call on Monday in Enugu during the Technical Session of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security.The theme of the event is “Enhancing Agricultural Value Chains, Agro-Industrialization and Market Access for Economic Growth.”
Ogunbiyi, who doubled as the Chairman of the Technical Session, said that the country must move beyond subsistence farming and embrace a commercially driven agricultural system capable of supporting industries, improving farmers’ incomes and expanding export opportunities.
“Our task goes beyond increasing the volume of food produced.
“We must build an agricultural economy that creates wealth, supports industries, generates decent employment, expands exports, improves rural livelihoods and contributes meaningfully to national economic growth,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary identified inadequate storage and processing facilities, limited access to finance, poor logistics and weak links between farmers and processors as major challenges affecting the competitiveness of agricultural products.
He called for increased investment in agro-processing facilities, rural roads, irrigation, electricity, cold-chain infrastructure and modern technologies to reduce post-harvest losses and promote local value addition.
“Agro-industrialisation is central to the transformation we seek to achieve. It provides the bridge between agriculture and industry.
“It also enables agricultural production to serve as a reliable source of raw materials for manufacturing and other productive sectors of the economy.
“The value of this Council will ultimately be determined by the quality of its resolutions and the extent to which those resolutions are implemented,” Ogunbiyi stated.
He also urged state governments to identify priority commodities, establish clear production and processing targets, attract private-sector investment and strengthen partnerships with research institutions and development partners.
In his remarks, the Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation, Patrick Uburu, said that the state government was committed to agro-industrialisation to boost farmers’ income, create jobs and generate wealth.
Uburu, who described the technical sessions as a platform for translating policies into practical solutions, urged delegates to prioritise farmers and agribusiness operators in their deliberations.
He emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among state governments, federal agencies and development partners to address food security challenges, noting that recommendations from the meeting should be measurable and implementable.
The commissioner called for practical policies and investments that would improve farmers’ productivity and expand market access for agricultural produce.
Technical Lead Policy Advisory, GIZ ECOWAS & Nigeria, Dr Abiodun Ihebuzor, advocated for stronger partnerships and increased investment in agricultural value chains to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food security in Nigeria.
Ihebuzor noted that previous engagements at the 46th Council in Calabar and the 47th Council in Kaduna had provided opportunities to advance agricultural development.
He expressed optimism that the current meeting would strengthen collaboration among government institutions, development partners and private-sector operators.
According to him, healthy soils, efficient markets and improved storage systems were essential to sustainable food security.
On her part, Geraldine Onu, Deputy Director, Administration and Supply, Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, disclosed that the State Government had intensified efforts to transform agriculture from subsistence farming to commercial and mechanical farming as part of its economic development agenda.
She noted that investments in irrigation, storage, processing and agricultural infrastructure were aimed at increasing production, attracting private investment, reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
“In Enugu State, under the visionary leadership of Gov. Peter Mbah, agriculture occupies a strategic position in the state’s economic transformation agenda.
“The initiatives include the 300,000-hectare agricultural land bank, the development of Smart Farm Estates across the 17 Local Government Areas, the 260 Farm Estate Programme and the establishment of a tractor assembly plant,” Onu added.(NAN)
Some residents in Lagos State have expressed concern over the recent surge in the price of tomatoes, forcing many households to adopt alternatives.
The residents made their views known in separate interviews on Wednesday in Lagos.
A market survey showed that a 50kg basket of tomatoes now sells between N115,000 and N125,000, compared to between N35,000 and N40,000 recorded last month.
Olachi Igwe, a resident of Ago Palace, said the scarcity and high cost of tomatoes had disrupted her household’s meal plans.
“I contacted my usual vendor, but she said tomatoes were scarce and difficult to source.
“A small bowl we used to buy for between N3,500 and N4,000 now sells for as high as N6,000 to N7,000, when available.
“For now, my family will resort to palm nut stew (ofe akwu) until prices stabilise,” she said.
Another resident, Mercy Okeleye of FESTAC, said although her family prefers fresh tomatoes, rising prices have forced her to consider cheaper options.
“I cannot do without fresh tomatoes because of the taste, but I may have to buy broken ones, popularly called ‘esha’, which are relatively cheaper.
“I do not consider tomato paste a suitable substitute because it is not purely made from tomatoes,” she said.
Also speaking, Tope Babalola from Dopemu, said she might adjust her cooking methods if prices remain high.
“I have not bought tomatoes in over a month, but if the price is still high, I will use more onions and peppers.
“I will not resort to artificial additives; I prefer natural ingredients for my meals,” she said.
Joan Ogugua, another resident, said she had already switched to tomato paste to cope with the situation.
“I asked my son to buy tomato paste for our meals. I cannot justify spending excessively on fresh tomatoes when other basic needs must be met,” she said.
Also, Oge Ugwu, a civil servant at Lekki, said she would resort to cucumber stew with the recent price hike.
The Tomatoes Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria (TOPAN) has predicted a steady increase in the price of the produce between May and June 2026.
The Kaduna State Chairman TOPAN, Rabiu Zuntu, disclosed this in an interview recently in Lagos.
Zuntu noted that although there is no particular time for tomatoes planting season up north, seasonal weather variations can affect the production of the produce.
“Although we can plant tomatoes all-year-round, we cannot assure quality harvest all-year-round.
“Some farmers are harvesting now, while others are transplanting, and others are harvesting.
“Tomatoes are still available for sale but the price of the produce is gradually on the increase.
“Come May/June, the prices of tomatoes will be very expensive, so now is a good time to stock up the produce. There’s always a scarcity within that period.
“This is because of the nature of the weather in the north around that period, the weather is usually very hot and tomatoes cannot resist such hot temperature,” he said.
Zuntu said the price of tomatoes have started rising up in the north.
“A 50kg rafia basket of tomatoes sells from N20,000 as against N7,000 to N10,000 that was sold earlier in the year.
“While a crate of tomatoes up north is sold between N10,000 and N15,000 as against N5,000 to N6,500 sold earlier in the year.
“In most part of Kano State, where there is bumper harvest, they are rounding off their harvest. So, tomato is not that available there and most buyers have turned to where they can find it now, mostly within Kaduna State and some parts of Plateau State.
“So, that’s why the supply has decreased and the tomato supply and cost is determined by the law of demand and supply,” he said.
A 50kg basket of tomatoes in Lagos, at the moment, sells between N40,000 and N60,000 depending on the size and quality.
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