Institute seeks more allocation to agric

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has advocated more budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector.

Its Communication Specialist and Head of Policy Communication Unit, Elizabeth Douglas, made the call in Kaduna on Monday at the opening of a two-day Policy Communication Training Course for reporters.

Douglas recalled that Nigeria was one of the signatories to Maputo Declaration that 10 per cent of total yearly budget be allocated to agriculture.

She expressed regret that 10 years later, the country was still lagging behind.

She, however, identified last year as the best year with highest allocation of 1.8 per cent, lamenting that in previous years the allocation ranged between 0.3 and 0.8 per cent.