CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background of the Study
Several attempts have been made towards ensuring food security. Some of these attempts are in the form of programmes designed to help increase or boost food production. Some of these programmes have gone moribund while some are still operational. The National Programme on Food Security (NPFS) is one of such programmes. It is government’s effort targeted at increasing food production. Its major objective is improving, enhancing and ensuring maximum food security.
The origin of this programme could be traced to November 1996 when Nigeria participated in world food summit. As one of the Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCS), she requested for assistance under the United Nations’ (UN) Food and Agricultural Organisations’ (FAO) Special Programme on Food Security (SPFS). A tripartite participatory review of beneficiary communities was held in Nigeria which resulted to a pilot phase of the Special Programme on Food Security (SPFS) being conducted in Kano state in March 1998. (ASADEP NSPFS Internal Implementation Completion Report ICR- Revised Jan 2007).
As a follow up to the success story of the SPFS pilot phase in Kano state, the SPFS was extended with the aim of initiating pilot actions in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. At this stage the special programme on food security (SPFS) became known as the National Special Programme on Food Security (NSPFS). The NSPFS funded three production/ demonstration sites in each of the 36 states and one site for the Federal Capital Territory, bringing the total to 109 sites in the Federation. (ASADEP NSPFS Internal Implementation Completion Report ICR-Revised Jan 2007)
In Anambra state, the three sites were located one each in the three senatorial districts in the state. They were at Amansea, Igbariam and Ogboji for Anambra Central, Anambra North and Anambra South Senatorial districts respectively.
The need to improve small holder productivity and the importance of sustainable agriculture for food security among other things led to the further expansion of the NSPFS. Under this phase, six additional sites were established in all the 36 states and two additional ones in the FCT. In Anambra state the additional sites were created in Ekwusigo, Nnewi, Nteje, Agulu, Ukwulu and Omasi. Two sites were created for each of the senatorial districts. Under this expansion phase, the programme became known as the National Programme on Food Security (NPFS)
The NPFS provides for grass root farmer mobilization and empowerment through the group approach. In order words, farmers are encouraged to organise themselves in groups to be able to access the funds/ loans and other assistance provided by the NPFS.
The NPFS recognises the importance of cooperatives to farmers. This importance was highlighted by Anioke (2000). According to him, cooperatives will help farmers and their household solve their socio-economic problems effectively. He equally pointed out that through cooperatives, farmers will mobilize own resources for investment purposes and utilization of existing government extension delivery system. Each NPFS site is made up of primary cooperative groups. Each group is made up of between 25 to 30 farmers. The chairman, secretary and treasurer of the primary groups form the apex cooperative. Within the apex, there is an elected chairman, secretary and treasurer. The Apex cooperative serves as the primary cooperative groups micro finance bank. It is through the apex groups that farmers assess the NPFS loans.
1.2    Statement of the Problem
Food is man’s most basic need. Successive governments in Nigeria are quite aware of this fact and have attempted in one way or the other to address the issue of food security. Over the years, concerted efforts have been made by various administrations towards ensuring maximum food security. A lot of programmes have been designed and implemented to this effect. Unfortunately, the effect of such attempts have not been significant (Nweze, 1995)
These programmes include; National Accelerated Food Production Programme (NAFPP), the River Basin Development Authority, Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) and so on.
Often times, the set objectives of these programmes are not accomplished.
Ajakaiye (1987) opined that one factor that causes the failure of these programmes is inadequate level. This according to Onugu (2007) is basically so because such farmers lack the capital to expand their production. Another major hitch-back of these programmes is that most of them become dormant once the administration that introduces them leaves office. In order words, they lack the capacity for continuity. There is also a general consensus that output from such programmes does not justify the huge amount of funds channelled into them.
Ojo (1987) and Ohabuchiro (2001) are of the view that adequate funding has not been pumped into agricultural activities. They equally opined that government has neglected agricultural activities. Enukora (2009), an extension staff of the Anambra State Agricultural Development Programme believe that farmers have the capacity to expand and boost agricultural production if they are adequately funded. He opined that one of the major problems of farmers is lack of credit facilities and even where loans are available, they are obtained at cut throat rate under oath. He went further to say that if adequate credit facility is extended to these farmers at a low interest rate, they are capable of moving from subsistence to commercial farming thereby contributing to food security.