Nigeria loses N544bn yearly to beans export ban, say stakeholders

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Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have bemoaned that Nigeria continues to lose an estimated N543.75bn annually in foreign exchange due to the ban on bean exportation.

The concern was expressed at the two-day National Summit on Agroecology and Public-Private Partnerships on Agroecology, which ended in Lagos on Tuesday.

The European Union had in 2015 placed a long-standing ban on the export of dried beans from Nigeria due to high levels of hazardous pesticide residues.

The ban was imposed by the EU, citing excessive chemical residues found in the produce, which exceed the acceptable limits.

The two-day summit, organised by ActionAid Nigeria under its Strategic Partnerships for Agroecology and Climate Justice in West Africa and Strategic Partnership Agreement projects, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, brought together more than 300 participants both physically and virtually.

The communiqué read by the National Chairman of the Agricultural Development Projects Programme Managers’ Forum, Muhammed Rili, lamented that the continued ban had cost the country revenue, jobs, and market relevance.

“Nigeria loses about N543.750 Billion ($362.5m @N1,500 per $) yearly in terms of foreign exchange to the ban on the exportation of beans in the last eight years, hence the importance of agroecology to help the country save money and export good and acceptable agricultural produce in the global market.

“Bearing in mind that every Nigerian’s food rejected is Naira lost, and unemployment increased,” the communique read.

Rili was flanked by Agricultural Development Programme managers, including Aderonke Toju of Lagos and Macaulay Koffi of Bayelsa, alongside Zainab Arah of the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria.

The stakeholders warned that the country’s food system was at a breaking point, citing climate shocks, rising production costs, land degradation and worsening vulnerabilities for women and young farmers.

They argued that agroecology, that is, farming anchored on ecological balance, biodiversity and low chemical inputs, was the most reliable route to sustainable food security.

“Nigeria’s food system faces intersecting crises that disproportionately affect smallholder farmers. Agroecology offers a viable, scalable pathway to rebuild soil, strengthen livelihoods and reduce dependence on synthetic inputs,” the communique read.

The communiqué further advanced that the benefits of agroecology, including improved climate resilience and reduced emissions, must be quantified and integrated into national climate and development policies.

“Agroecology is not just an environmental imperative, it is an economic lifeline that Nigeria must now prioritise,” the communique read.

The summit also lamented the increasing health hazards linked to pesticide use in farming communities.

Citing global estimates, the communiqué noted that although developing countries like Nigeria use only 25 per cent of pesticides produced worldwide, they account for 99 per cent of pesticide-related deaths.

According to the summit findings, 75 per cent of smallholder women farmers surveyed in 2022 reported health complications linked to highly hazardous pesticides. “Symptoms such as breathing difficulties, headaches, vomiting, rashes and respiratory distress were widespread,” the summit noted.

They urged the government to adopt a national food safety strategy that phases out toxic chemical pesticides, reducing their use by 50 per cent by 2030, 25 per cent by 2040, and to a maximum of 5 per cent by 2050.

The summit also saw participants criticise the federal budget structure for 2025, saying key allocations for agroecology, biodiversity and climate resilience were domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the State House. They insisted the funds should rightly sit under the agriculture and environment ministries for proper coordination.

They also noted that despite increases in federal and state agroecology budgets between 2020 and 2024, releases for implementation remained poor, slowing progress in scaling up sustainable farming practices.

The stakeholders also observed that while the nation’s population was increasing, the quantity of agricultural land remained the same.

They therefore demanded to focus on technology that will improve farmlands, especially strategies to recycle nutrients within our lands to ensure sustainable agroecological management.

The communique also read, “Despite land degradation, the soil can heal itself and regenerate, therefore it is possible to grow our food 100 per cent without synthetic chemicals.

“Government should promote Land Tenure Reforms, Resource Rights for smallholder women farmers and young persons, & access to farmland schemes for youths and women.”

Among its recommendations, the summit called on the Federal and State Governments to scale up funding for agroecology, extension services and indigenous seed preservation.

It urged the establishment of community seed banks nationwide, stronger extension systems, and more public investment to raise agricultural GDP to at least six per cent.

The communique also read, “The Ecological Project Office should support the scale-up of agroecology across communities in Nigeria towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“The implementation of the validated National Agroecology Strategy should commence immediately to ensure coordination and scale up of Agroecology in Nigeria.”

Participants testified to the effectiveness of organic fertiliser and the use of agroecological practices, generally resulting in increased incomes and livelihood resilience even in the face of climate change.

They, therefore, held that associated co-benefits of emission reduction should be estimated and accounted for as benefits of agroecology practice.

Participants also advocated urgent reforms in pesticide legislation.

Other key recommendations included increased agricultural research funding, support for organic fertiliser use, better land tenure access for women and youths, and Public-Private Partnerships that guarantee market access for agroecologically produced foods.

The communique also read, “Government should strengthen Extension Services with mobility, incentives and resources for field visits and employ more extension agents, especially women and youths.

“Development Partners and Donors should increase their funding and programmes on agroecology and climate justice in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government should invest more in Agricultural research and Innovation (Invest in Local Science), this will scale up Agroecological practices and improve food security.

“Consumers and producers’ market for agroecologically produced food should be prioritised by the government to aid scale-up.”

The event had representatives of the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, ActionAid Nigeria, Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria, Young Farmers in Nigeria, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Agribusiness, 36 States and FCT Agricultural Development Programme managers, among others.

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