Nigeria Leads Africa In Agricultural Research & Investment - International Study


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigeria-leads-africa-in-agric-research-investment/90301/


Full Text:

A new study published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in the United States has put Nigeria in the number one position in the whole of Sub Saharan Africa in terms of investment in Agricultural Research and Development (R&)

The IFPRI stated that investment in agricultural research and development (R&) in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by more than 20 per cent from 2001-2008, but most of this growth occurred in only a handful of countries as Nigeria alone accounted for one-third of the increase.

The study however stated that R& spending in most of the region had stagnated or fallen, according to a new report by the IFPRI.

In a survey of 32 African nations, the study found that investment in agricultural R& had rebound in many of the larger countries, primarily Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

However, in 13 countries, spending actually declined. Even where funding did increase, much of the money went to boost low salaries and rehabilitate infrastructure and equipment after years of neglect.

The state of agricultural R& is particularly grave in francophone West Africa, where insufficient national investment has left programs debilitated and dangerously dependent on volatile external funding. Many of these countries are also struggling with a rapidly aging pool of scientists, many of whom will approach retirement within the next decade.

Most countries in the study are facing human capacity challenges, such as recruitment freezes, retention problems, and researchers who either lack high-level training or are old and nearing retirement, according to the report.

IFPRI’s Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) initiative conducted the survey in collaboration with more than 370 agricultural research agencies. ASTI is spearheaded by IFPRI on behalf of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

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What impact has this had (or will have) on Nigeria's actual economy? Just wondering.

and what has been the impact of the research on Nigerian agriculture, no be to carry first be the thing