The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), in collaboration with the Gombe State Budget Committee Group (BCG), has decried the 3.45 per cent budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector in the 2025 state budget.
Mrs Airudia Mamman, the state Coordinator of SWOFON, made this known on Tuesday in Gombe while presenting the state’s 2025 agriculture budget observations and recommendations.
The presentation was supported by Hope Foundation for the Lonely and ActionAid Nigeria.
Mamman described the allocation as “grossly inadequate” to meet the funding needs of the agricultural sector in 2025.
She further noted that the current allocation falls significantly short of the 10 per cent benchmark set by the Maputo Declaration and the Malabo Commitment.
According to her, the low budgetary provision poses a threat to food security, given the crucial role of agricultural investment in ensuring food availability.
She observed that the 3.45 per cent allocation represents a decline from the 4.36 per cent allocated in 2024, stating that this does not reflect a strong commitment by the government to agricultural development.
She therefore urged the government to “progressively” increase funding towards meeting the 10 per cent target, with a focus on capital expenditures that directly impact farmers.
Mamman added that, in light of the state’s growing population, there is an urgent need for significant investment in agriculture to bolster food security and create employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people.
“Gombe state’s 2025 projected population is approximately 4,064,000. With an allocation of N12,777,800,000 to the agriculture sector, the per capita investment in the agriculture sector for Gombe in 2025 is approximately N3,140,536.23.
“This points to poor appreciation of the importance of the sector in the state development and poverty reduction.
“This spending is still grossly inadequate considering the current economic challenges, trends and depreciation in the value of the Naira,” she said.
Mamman also criticised the N30 million allocated to SWOFON in 2025, noting that it represented a 40 per cent reduction from N50 million in 2024 and a 57 per cent drop from N70 million in 2023.
She expressed concern over the downward trend, especially given the rising demand for support in areas such as inputs, mechanisation, access to credit, and the critical role of smallholder farmers in food production.
On his part, Mr Yahaya Atiku, a member of the BCG, urged the state government to tackle post-harvest losses.
He described them as a major constraint in the agricultural value chain for smallholder women farmers, due to inadequate storage, processing, and preservation facilities.
“Despite a N10 million allocation in the 2024 budget, no funds were released. Worryingly, the 2025 budget did not make provision for post-harvest losses support”.
Mrs Sarah Yapwa, Executive Director of Hope Foundation for the Lonely, commended the state government for increased allocations to extension logistics and for maintaining consistent subsidies on fertilisers.
