Government Policy on Agricultural Research Coordination In Nigeria From 1960-2003

A retrospective survey of government policies on agricultural research coordination in Nigeria from 1960-2003 was carried out. The National Agricultural Research Project (NARP), Ibadan and six Research Institutes purposively selected to cover all the sectors of Agriculture and to represent three of the five major farming system zones in the country were used for the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Four critical inadequacies of government polices were identified. Majority (80.0% ) of the respondents confirmed failure of Nigerian agricultural policies to address autonomy of the coordinating agency, 66.7% indicated absence of policies for involvement of mostly experts in agricultural policy formulation and administration, 93.3% opined that intervention of government policies on research priorities setting debars demand- driven agricultural research which would enhance rate of technology adoption and 93.3% accused government policies of favoring reformations of the coordinating agency, without recognition of risk of potential catastrophes in dynamic systems. The study further revealed that while the process for the development of research coordination has been very slow and painful to Research Institutes, no one seemed to be questioning the need for policy or economic reforms to salvage the ailing coordinating agency. It suggested a need for stabilization of Agricultural Research coordination through the creation of an autonomous Directorate of Agricultural Research and Development under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource. Key words: Government policies, Agricultural Research Coordination, Agriculture. Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol.2(1) 2004: 11-2