Author: The Nation

The plan of the Federal Government to make agriculture the mainstay of the country’s economy is no doubt yielding fruit. One government agency that has concluded arrangements to take the bull by the horns to reposition the agricultural value chain in the country is the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), writes ONYEDI OJIABOR

 

Fake seeds are like counterfeit drugs. They are capable of harming the plan of the Federal Government to make agriculture the mainstay of the country’s economy. All over the world, the agricultural sector is the strength of the economy, which employs a vast majority of people.

Experts say the population of the country is growing at an alarming rate which makes it imperative to double productivity to meet the rising demands for food.

It is also the view of experts that quality seed is one veritable tool to achieve the vision of food sufficiency in the country.

Relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government are steadily keying into the agenda to make the country not only food sufficient, but to produce for export.

One government agency that has concluded arrangements to take the bull by the horns to reposition the agricultural value chain in the country is the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC).

The council’s mandate is to ensure circulation of adequate quality and quantity of seeds in Nigeria, across West Africa and other regions.

That seed is central to agriculture is not in doubt, it is also not questionable the fact that the attention you give to seed determines your productivity and how far you can go.

What may be in doubt, experts say, is the level of acceptability of improved seedlings by Nigerian farmers.

NASC Director-General, Dr. Olusegun Ojo is, however, not leaving any stone unturned in his effort to popularise and carry out the mandate of the council.

Ojo said as much when he spoke in Abuja about the activities of NASC and the determination of the council to take the benefits of quality seeds to the door steps of Nigerians.

For Ojo, the value of the seed industry in the country and the value that can be attained in about 2030 is enormous.

According to him, “assumed current value of about N150 billion for selected cereals and legumes food security crops, by 2030 the value will be well over N200 billion for these crops which include maize, rice, sorghum, cotton, cowpea, groundnut, millet and soybean”.

On the role of seed to agricultural productivity, he said they regulate to introduce sanity into the system to prevent confusion and ensure that farmers are protected.

He said without necessary regulation, “it implies farmers will be defrauded and eventually, we will be unable to meet our food and raw material need as a country”.

Ojo said NASC is not capable to do the duty alone. “Our approach is that we encourage the entire community to work with us to sanitise the system. Our manpower is insufficient and as government revenue is dwindling so is our manpower and logistics. For staff security in the execution of their duties, we partner with the various law enforcement organs of government to support us. We enjoy a very cordial relationship with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps for example.”

Increase in yield per hectare and land expansion are also said to be two factors which determine agricultural growth.

In the country, land expansion is said to have remained the key driver of growth. Experts say yield per hectare has been low due to low use of high quality input particularly seeds. So, a simple tool that can transform agricultural productivity significantly at very minimal cost is the utilisation of good quality seeds, the council insists.

Asked how compliant the commercial seed entrepreneurs have been to the council’s standards and whether he would say the seed sector is living up to expected standards, the NASC boss noted that they have been dynamic and “we need to commend them for their effort in the past few years, our progress in the rice and maize sector for example is partly due to the deployment of quality seeds from these commercial seed entrepreneurs. We have room also for improvement because we have not reached our destination”.

The DG is also convinced that farmers can harvest more than double their current yield through the use of certified protected plant varieties through the introduction of Plant Variety Protection (PVP).

On NASC partnership with various seed enterprises Ojo said partnership is their key strategy for success. “That is why we continue to partner various organisations whether government, private, NGO, CBO, CSO, media, financial institutions, security agencies name it. We are open to work and collaborate with all to usher in quality seeds in Nigeria.”

On the membership of international bodies that deal with seeds and what Nigerian stands to benefit, he said: “We are strategically making effort to ensure that Nigeria is on the global seed map and we benefit from the multibillion dollar seed economy. This we can do in partnership with the various international seed bodies.

“We are currently making effort to be a strong nation in the World Seed Partnership and that is why we are seriously doing all to become member of bodies such as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plant (UPOV), the Seed Scheme of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Seed Federation (ISF), the Africa Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), Africa Seeds.”

He added: “The world is a global economy and we cannot operate in isolation and so our membership with these organisations will boost seed trade and also help curb dumping of substandard quality seeds in Nigeria.”

The NASC DG described the country’s agriculture future with seeds as “very bright” because “seeds with other inputs and good agricultural practices will take us to the right place”.

Perhaps one strategic initiative of NASC may be the disclosure that it has concluded arrangements to commence the digital coding and labeling of certified seeds (SeedCodex) for farming.

SeedCodex, it said, will commence effective from the early farming season of year 2020.

Findings showed that the SeedCodex initiative, which is an electronic verification and authentication system introduced to enhance efficiency of the council’s seed certification process, was launched about two months ago.

The DG said it involves using digital codes hidden under a scratchable veneer, which when sent to appropriate telephone line, promptly give feedback on the authenticity or otherwise of the seed sample in any receptacle, be it a bag, a can or any other form of container.

Read Also: Adopting smarter seeds for food security

 

Ojo believes that the introduction of this technology will help to bring transparency into seed supply chain and expose those doing sharp practices as each set of numbers is peculiar to specific containers.

He added that the planned coded labeling of seed containers was part of the council’s ongoing quality seed assurance initiatives being undertaken to ensure that dealers in sub-standard seeds are denied the opportunity of benefitting from dubious practices, including adulteration, in the seeds market and ensuring that farmers get the best seeds for farming.

For the SeedCodex initiative, NASC boss said they have trained seed certification officers as well as inaugurated seed committees across the states and oriented the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) personnel to ensure that sub-standard seeds are eliminated in the seed industry.

The seed expert noted that through the collaboration of relevant agencies such as the NSCDC, the council would ensure that any seed container without the codex label would be impounded and owners handed to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

According to him, “we are committed as a Council statutorily mandated to regulate the seed industry to ensuring that the peddlers or fake seed companies do not have a place in our seed market. The Seed Codex initiative is one of several measures and innovative strategies we are adopting to rid the Nigerian seed market of adulterated seeds.

“This is important to us because we appreciate that seed quality is crucial to having quality crops from our farmers for feeding, processing for local and global markets.”

The NASC boss did not end the briefing without talking about the amended Seed Act and its effect on the mandate of the council.

He said: “The process of amendment started about 12 years ago. The bill was amended by the 6th and 7th National Assembly, but was not assented due to the dynamic nature of the industry and the need to include other key provisions in the thinking of the government of the period.

“However, we thank God that the 8th Assembly seeing the importance of the Seed Act passed the bill again into law and this time it received the assent of Mr. President.”

 

The world is a global economy and we cannot operate in isolation and so our membership with these organisations will boost seed trade and help curb dumping of substandard quality seeds in Nigeria

Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, there has been an upsurge in the number of private schools across the country, particularly in Imo State. While the proprietors smile to the banks and live large as a result of high fees they charge, their teachers, mainly university graduates, virtually live in penury, writes DAMIAN DURUIHEOMA

 

Olivia wakes up every 4:30 in the morning from her one-room apartment in World Bank, Owerri Imo State worrying about what the day may hold for her. She dashes out to the verandah which is converted to a kitchen and begins to prepare meal for her two children.

Before 6:30 a.m., she heads for her duty post  in one of the private schools at New Owerri area of the capital city. She later revealed to The Nation that she had been doing this for six years so as not to be late for school.

According to her, if she gets late by two minutes to school, N500  will be deducted from her meagre salary.

Thirty-two-year-old Olivia is facing hard times. She has been on the job for two years and her monthly salary of N15, 000 is barely enough.

A graduate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Olivia revealed that her salary has just been increased to N20,000 per month; having secured a new job in a new school.

Her school is one of the big private schools in New Owerri. Pupils pay between N21, 000 and N26, 000 as fees per term, depending on the class or level. This considerable low fee, coupled with the failure of the state government to establish new schools in spite of the increasing population of the area, it was gathered, increased the school’s population, which stands between 350 and 400 in its nursery and primary section alone. This, she said, is the same scenario with the school where she left for her current place of work.

With just 13 teachers in the school, it was gathered that the amount collected from pupils per term by the school’s proprietor like most other private schools in the state does not reflect in the salaries paid to the teachers, who work 10 hours a day between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The income, according to The Nation‘s findings, reflects more on the landed properties and exotic cars acquired by the proprietors.

“Most of us teaching in private schools are passing through hard times. Getting a better job becomes a major challenge.

“So, instead of staying idle, it’s better I remain here to earn a living, despite the meagre pay I get as salary,” she told The Nation.

And to show how serious the proprietors can be about it, findings showed that any teacher who comes two minutes late to school will have about N200 or N500  deducted from his or her salary no matter the reason.

She said: “Apart from our proprietor’s daughter, who just finished secondary school, all the teachers in this school are graduates. Yet, we are not paid up to the country’s minimum wage. We found ourselves here because of the high level of unemployment in the state.

“I graduated about 10 years ago and after searching for job without success, I was employed in a school where I was paid N12, 000 a month. When the opportunity came, I decided to grab it hoping to find a better job. There is no time for one to search for fresh job except through online which is not always genuine.

“So, after getting married, I hoped to quit the job. But things started being rough for me after the birth of my second baby.”

Findings by The Nation  showed that the major challenge teachers in private schools face is the thinking of the proprietors that labour is readily available. It was also observed that the proprietors are of the view that they are only doing the teachers a favour by employing them to teach in their schools.

“That is why when one talks about increment and better working condition, one gets sacked,” Olivia said.

She described the meagre  salaries paid to teachers in private schools as unfair. According to her, they work for 10 hours every day. “And for you not to go to work late, you have to wake up by 4:30 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. every day and go home around 5:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. depending on where you live.

“We help the proprietors make huge sums of money because of quality service the graduate teachers bring to bear in these schools. But rather than encourage the teachers with good salary, they are always on the lookout to spend millions of naira on lands where they will extend their schools to and drive big cars,” she said.

To make ends meet, findings showed that teachers such as Olivia resort to ‘begging’. They do it stylishly.

For instance, during school runs in one of the schools in Ikenegbu Layout, the teachers would always beg some parents to “find us something for lunch” or “give your son something to bring for me tomorrow”.  At some other time, it was observed that some of the teachers would tell the parents about the progress their ward is making in their class and eventually use the opportunity to beg for some assistance. And the most popular one is the teacher telling her pupil on Thursdays to inform his or her parent to “do weekend for me on Friday”.

Two other teachers, Chidera and Chioma, who work with different schools in the city, shared almost similar experience with Olivia.

Chidera said since she has nothing else doing after her graduation, she decided to take up teaching, hoping to quit immediately she embarks on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

She said with the little experience she has had within a short time, the job offered no hope for anyone who wants to rise through the ranks except those who plan to run their own schools.

The HND holder, who earns N12, 000, said she was not bordered about the “meagre salary” because “my stay in this school is just for a while.

“I observed that the situation is the same everywhere in this city despite the huge amount of money the proprietors make. So, I have decided that after my youth service, I will not teach in any private school. It’s better to engage in small business than to teach in private school”.

A parent, Timothy Adiele, whose child is in one of the private schools in Owerri, told The Nation that it is true that salaries of many Nigerians working in private companies are nothing to write home about, but what is happening in the private schools needs to be given a critical look before it is too late.

Adiele said: “This is an industry that is supposed to be complementing government’s efforts in job creation. But, the proprietors have taken the advantage of the level of unemployment rate in the country to dehumanise their fellow humankind.”

A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education Foundation and Administration, Mrs. Ngozi Izuagba, said it was disgusting for private schools to treat their teachers with such disdain.

Dr. Izuagba noted that education is Imo’s industry, but regretted that the height the state had attained in education development was yet to trickle down to teachers.

“In the past 15 years, the state has been coming first in everything examination– be it senior school certificate examinations, university entrance examinations or even university enrolment. Apart from few states, Imo ranks highest as a state with high number of private schools, no thanks to poor quality of teaching in state-owned schools.

“However, with the growing number of private schools in the state, one would think that the industry is assisting the government in offering quality jobs to teachers. But, the true situation is that it has been an exploitative situation by proprietors as their teachers go hungry while the proprietors live in affluence.

Read Also: Lagos approves establishment of 173 private schools

 

“The private schools have  made huge contributions in the provision of quality education in the state. But thousands of teachers in their employ are hardly paid anything more than N20,000 per month,”  she said.

Another educational management expert, Mrs. Ngozi Abiahu blamed government for not properly monitoring the operations of the private schools.

She said: “What private schools are doing in Imo State is very wrong. They have killed education system. How can you employ a graduate teacher and you pay her N15, 000 or N20,000? What kind of output are you expecting from her?

“In the course of wanting to pay so little to the teacher, the proprietors employ unqualified teachers,” she said.

Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Pastor Chris Ineh admitted that most of the private schools in the state do not offer quality jobs because of a number of factors.

He insisted that the private schools were providing what he called stop gap employment for unemployed graduates despite the poor salary package.

“‘It’s true that most private schools don’t offer quality jobs, the reason is because of poor enrollment of student population.

“A teacher should not expect to be paid more than N15, 000 when the number of pupils in her class is 15 or 20. What most of them do is they multiply it by N10,000 or N15,000 which the pupils pay as school fees and want the proprietor to increase her stipend. She forgets that the proprietors will buy teaching materials, maintain the school and pay tax.

“So, the issue of private school proprietors taking more interest in acquiring landed properties and driving expensive cars and traveling abroad is out of the question,” he said.

Ineh maintained that private schools were playing complementary roles in the provision of quality education and employment.

He appealed to the state government to assist private schools with grants to assist teachers.

“We’re helping government in the provision of jobs and we are saying that the government should assist us with grants. That was the fulcrum of our discussion in Markurdi, Benue State last week. We want government to support some of the qualified teachers through the state Universal Basic Education (UBE) whereby free books can be given to them.”