ASSESSING THE AGRICULTURAL POLICIES OF PRESIDENT GOODLUCK AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Historically, Nigeria's economy has been based mostly on agriculture, which provides the bulk of the country's population with a substantial source of income and makes up a sizeable portion of its GDP. Nonetheless, the agricultural industry has encountered several difficulties throughout the years, such as poor infrastructure, restricted access to contemporary farming methods, and erratic government regulations. These obstacles have impeded the industry's expansion and its capacity to spur economic progress and alleviate poverty. Nigeria's economy was based mostly on agriculture until oil was discovered, which supplied the country with food, jobs, and raw materials for industry. Nevertheless, the 1970s oil boom diverted attention from agriculture, which decreased its economic impact. Aware of the need to revitalize this vital industry, succeeding administrations have implemented a number of agricultural policies designed to increase production, improve food security, and encourage economic diversification.

Nigeria's agriculture industry is vital to the country's job market, economic diversification, and food security. Notwithstanding its significance, the industry has historically encountered several difficulties, including as poor infrastructure, restricted access to contemporary farming methods, and erratic government regulations. These obstacles have impeded the sector's expansion and its capacity to propel long-term, sustainable economic growth. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme are two agricultural programs that President Goodluck Jonathan's administration introduced after seeing the need for reform and trying to breathe new life into the industry (Coker, etal (2013).

About 70% of the working force is employed in Nigeria's agriculture industry, which is a crucial sector of the economy and has greatly increased GDP (gross domestic product). On the other hand, the industry has encountered many difficulties, such as low production, poor infrastructure, and erratic policies. From 2010 to 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan, who led Nigeria, enacted a number of agricultural policies with the goal of reviving the industry. Millions of Nigerians might find work thanks to a robust agricultural industry, which his administration understood could help diversify the economy away from its excessive reliance on oil. Important programs carried out during his presidency included: the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS), the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS), and the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). The other facets of President Jonathan's agricultural policies included ensuring the production of higher-quality fertilizers, marketing reforms, and the transition of agriculture from rustic farming to mechanized farming, which calls for enabling local farmers to adopt contemporary and economical technologies (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2015)..

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Agriculture has always been a crucial sector for Nigeria, contributing significantly to the country's economy and employing a large portion of its population. During President Goodluck Jonathan's tenure from 2010 to 2015, several agricultural policies were introduced with the aim of revitalizing the sector, enhancing food security, and boosting economic growth. During Jonathan's presidency, Nigeria saw a rise in the production of staple crops like rice, maize, and cassava. The ATA and its associated programs contributed significantly to these gains in agricultural productivity. The GES Scheme, in particular, made sure that farmers received timely and sufficient inputs (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2015). Farmers who were part of the SCPZs received higher incomes than those who were not because the GES Scheme's direct distribution of inputs decreased farmers' costs and increased their incomes. Additionally, the creation of SCPZs allowed farmers to obtain better prices for their produce by creating market linkages (International Food Policy Research Institute, 2014). The effectiveness of President Jonathan's agricultural policies can be assessed through several indicators, including agricultural productivity, farmer income, and food security.

Despite these successes, several challenges and criticisms of President Jonathan's agricultural policies have been noted. Although the policies were well-thought-out, bureaucratic inefficiencies, a lack of adequate infrastructure, and sporadic delays in input distribution made it difficult to implement them. These problems occasionally reduced the programs' efficacy (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2014). There were reports of corruption and poor management even after measures like the GES Scheme were put in place to try and lessen corruption. Maintaining accountability and openness remained a major concern (Central Bank of Nigeria, 2013). Some critics argued that the policies were heavily dependent on government subsidies and support, raising concerns about their sustainability in the long term. There was a need for more private sector involvement to ensure the continuity of these programs (International Food Policy Research Institute, 2014).

President Goodluck Jonathan's administration introduced a number of agricultural policies, but the Nigerian agricultural sector still faces many obstacles, such as low agricultural yields and productivity, insufficient funding and infrastructure, limited access to markets and credit for small-scale farmers, inconsistent policy implementation, and a lack of continuity. These obstacles have impeded the sector's growth and its potential to propel sustainable economic development. The likelihood of the agriculture sector continuing to perform below expectations is still very strong in the absence of a thorough assessment. By providing a thorough analysis of President Goodluck Jonathan's agricultural policies and important insights to improve the efficacy of upcoming agricultural initiatives in Nigeria, this study seeks to close this gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

This study, "Assessing the Agricultural Policies of President Goodluck and Their Effectiveness," has the following main goals.

To assess the objectives of President Goodluck Jonathan's agricultural policies as they were put into effect. 

To determine whether these policies are successful in accomplishing the goals they were designed to, 

To determine the policies' and their implementation's advantages and disadvantages. 

To assess the difficulties and constraints encountered in putting these ideas into practice.

1.4 Research Questions

What were the agricultural policies implemented by President Goodluck Jonathan's administration?

How effective were these policies in achieving their intended objectives?

What were the strengths and weaknesses of the policies and their implementation?

What were the challenges and limitations faced in implementing these policies?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of this study lies in its ability to offer thorough insights into the efficacy of President Goodluck Jonathan's agricultural policies by highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of previous initiatives. The study is pivotal in presenting a concise assessment of President Jonathan’s agricultural policies objectives. It will also convey in-depth understanding of the successes and accomplishment of the policies in line with goals they were designed to meet. In addition, this study will be able to determine the advantages and disadvantages of implementing these policies while assessing the difficulties that constrained the practical workability of these policies. The study's findings will serve as a reference for policymakers, ensuring that future policies are evidence-based, effective, and sustainable, assessing the impact of agricultural policy on rural infrastructure and market access can lead to better support for rural areas, lowering poverty and improving living standards.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The analysis will concentrate on the agricultural policies put in place between 2010 and 2015, when President Goodluck Jonathan was in office. This period of time encompasses the beginning, middle, and end of his administration's agricultural policies. The study looks at the general goals, methods of implementation, and results of the ATA, the assessment of the GES Scheme, the function of NIRSAL in helping farmers obtain finance, and the effect of YouWin on young involvement in agriculture. The study is centered on Nigeria and the agricultural sector. However, other sectors like the economy and political sectors cannot be avoided in the course of this study.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

The researcher faced seeming little limitations in the course of this research. Such of which were, limited at the researcher’s disposal which limited the researcher’s mobility to vital places of important to the study. Also, the researcher had the issue of concrete materials to corroborate the scanty ones presented by media pundits,

1.8 Research Methodology

The researcher employed a multidisciplinary approach in the course of this study. A qualitative method of analysis combined with historical method was used. The researcher employed these methods to enhance a full grasp of the subject. Qualitative methods work best when analyzing the nuances, circumstances, and underlying assumptions of the policy. Given the nature of society under study, this research relied on secondary source evidence from government reports, articles and publications.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Agricultural policies: are the collection of policies, rules, and programs implemented by a government to accomplish particular goals in the agriculture industry.

Agriculture: Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry for food and non-food products.

ATA: The Agricultural Transformation Agenda 

GES: Growth Enhancement Support (GES)