Abolore Ifeoluwa once shared the agony he and other local farmers in Ara, Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State go through in ferrying their harvested products to city centres for sale. He regretted that after going through the drudgery associated with peasant farming, they have for decades been unable to derive maximum satisfaction from the toiling due to the deplorable condition of roads leading to their farms.
He said, “Most of the time, we harvest our farm products and we have no means of transporting them to urban centres, where they are in high demand. We eat the much we can while a good percentage wastes away. The few of our fellow farmers who can afford the exorbitant price of evacuating the products from our community to markets in the cities, do so through their nose,” he lamented.
Ifeoluwa’s lamentation is not peculiar to Ara but a reflection of tragic reality around evacuation of harvested farm produce from agrarian communities to urban settlements where they are demanded in commercial quantities across the country.
Nigeria, with vast agricultural potential, has continued to grapple with food insecurity, primarily due to infrastructural deficits. The deplorable state of rural feeder roads stands out as a significant impediment to agricultural productivity and economic stability. Feeder roads are crucial for connecting rural farming communities some of which pride themselves as the food baskets of the nation, to urban markets, enabling the transportation of agricultural inputs and outputs.
Sadly, in the 21st century Nigeria, most of such roads are in a state of disrepair. According to the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), approximately 80% of rural roads in Nigeria are unpaved, and become impassable during the rainy season. This situation severely hampers the efficient movement of goods, leading to significant post-harvest losses and increased transportation costs.
Post-harvest losses are annual tragic tales of farmers in rural communities resulting from long travel times and rough conditions, which badly affect perishable goods some of which spoil on transit before reaching their destinations. According to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Nigeria loses up to 40% of its agricultural produce post-harvest due to inadequate infrastructure.
When 40% of harvested products waste away, it becomes in disputable that the remainder will be sold at a very high cost at least to make up for what had been lost on transit or due to other factors such as lack of storage facilities.
Also linked to poor rural feeder roads is restricted access to farm inputs. The FAO reports that small holder farmers dominate Nigeria’s agricultural sector, contributing significantly to food production despite their limited resources. However, these peasant farmers, who constitute up to 80% of the entire farming population in the country, often struggle to access essential agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and machinery. When such incentives are provided by government, political farmers, who have no plots of cultivated land anywhere, enjoy greater access to them than the real farmers. This limitation reduces the productivity of the farmers as well as the ability to adopt modern farming techniques.
Deplorable feeder roads in rural areas deny farmers free access to market, where their products are highly sought. Consequently, they are often confined to local markets, where they sell their produce at give-away prices with nothing to show for the labour. This lack of access to larger, more lucrative markets diminishes their potential to make more money and in the short or long run stalls expansion of production capacity.
The poor state of feeder roads significantly affects the prices of agricultural products. For this, the end users (consumers) bear the brunt of the high transportation costs, driven by the deplorable condition of roads as they eventually buy the products at higher costs. This accounts for the current food inflation, which is a critical component of the broader economic hardship in Nigeria. Regrettably, we are at a time when a considerably large portion of household income is spent on food.
This further exacerbates poverty and limits the ability to spend on other essential needs such as healthcare and education. Little wonder, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics during the launch of its 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Survey, reveals that 63% of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor. The National MPI, at 0.257, indicates that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations.
According to NBS, over half of the population of Nigeria cooks with dung, wood or charcoal, rather than cleaner energy while multidimensional poverty is higher in rural areas, where 72% of people are poor, compared to 42% of people in urban areas.
The current state of rural feeder roads across the country over 60 years after its independence can be traced to several interrelated factors. Rural infrastructure, including feeder roads, often suffers from chronic underfunding as a result of limited budget allocations and competing priorities. Greater attention is paid to urban development, leaving rural areas underserved. Also worrisome is the level of corruption and mismanagement which have characterized government operations. It is a common place to divert funds meant for infrastructure projects, while poor project management lead to substandard construction and maintenance of roads. This endemic corruption has made it almost impossible to improve rural infrastructure.
Besides, frequent changes in government disrupt long-term planning and implementation of infrastructure projects as each administration often starts new projects rather than continuing those initiated by predecessors. It is not surprising that contracts have been awarded for the construction of some of the deplorable feeder roads. Despite that approximately 48% of Nigeria’s population lives in rural areas and relies on agriculture, successive governments have given more attention and resources to urban areas due to their economic and political significance.
The country’s tropical climate, characterized by heavy rains and flooding, exacerbates the degradation of rural roads. This accounts for some of the feeder roads failing soon after construction as a result of poor drainage systems and lack of maintenance. This brings alive the clamour for urgent democratization of the local government system in the country with full financial autonomy. Democratizing the third tier of government will equally help to mobilize communities to get involved in the planning and maintenance of rural roads. This enhances the sustainability of infrastructure projects through local knowledge and shared responsibility.
To address the deplorable state of rural feeder roads, a multifaceted approach is solicited. Government at all levels must allocate more funds to rural infrastructure and ensure consistent investment over time. This is the only way the current deplorable condition of those roads can be reversed. The anti-corruption frameworks of the government must be strengthened to ensure that allocated funds are used effectively and efficiently on the construction of rural roads.
There is also a compelling need to make rural infrastructure development a priority across all tiers of government, regardless of political changes. While community involvement is strongly solicited in the planning, construction, and maintenance of roads to ensure that projects meet local needs and are sustainable, the country must invest in technical expertise for proper planning, construction, and maintenance of rural roads. The country also needs to develop and implement climate-resilient infrastructure designs which can withstand Nigeria’s environmental challenges.
Investing in the development and maintenance of feeder roads can transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector and alleviate economic hardship in several ways. Improved condition of roads will allow farmers to transport their goods to urban markets more efficiently, reducing post-harvest losses and fetching better prices for their produce. Also, better road access means easier and more reliable delivery of agricultural inputs. Since farmer spend less in transporting harvested products for sale, they have more money to increase their productivity level. This leads to higher yields and more diverse crop production as farmers can afford and access better quality seeds and fertilizers.
When rural farmers are at their best in terms of production capacity, they will become more productive and a more productive agricultural sector can stimulate economic growth by increasing rural incomes, creating jobs, and enhancing food security. This growth will improve overall economic stability and reduce poverty.
Therefore, the provision of rural feeder roads is not just an infrastructural necessity but a strategic imperative for boosting food production in Nigeria. Addressing the current challenges posed by deplorable roads will unlock the potential of the country’s agricultural sector, stabilize food prices, and alleviate the economic hardships faced by its citizens.
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