Strengths and Weaknesses of Policies and Programmes
While most of the programmes initiated by the government addressing food and nutrition security appear to have made progress, they have not lead to self-sufficiency or reduce malnutrition.
Some of the salient reasons for the ineffectiveness of the various efforts aimed at achieving food security in Nigeria include (Mohammed, 2006):
- Policy inconsistency and administrative dislocations of the federal departments in charge of the various programmes.
- Inability to sustain funding of the programmes.
- Instability of the research institutes due to their constant movement among ministries and poor funding.
- Unnecessary political interference and managerial problems, resulting from socioeconomic cleavages, which permeated the nation’s sociopolitical, economic, and cultural institutions.
- Lack of qualified manpower to provide effective leadership for the various programs.
- Lack of continuity and shifts in approach by successive governments.
- Poor funding and lack of institutional arrangements for implementation.
- Lack of funds and commitment limiting the extent of infrastructural provision in the rural areas.
- Government infrastructural programmes embarked upon without effective planning or institutional arrangements for their execution and continuity.
Generally, structures are in place set up in a manner to get results, but that implementation is slow and lacks a focus to drive it along.