COMMUNAL-AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

As an alternative theory of unemployment and development to replace the on-going theories of modernization and dependency that have failed Nigeria and Nigerians, CAAB advocates revisiting our pre-colonial concepts and practice of agriculture that spilled over to sustain the colonial period where it not only fed the people but exported to earn foreign exchange. By this theory, development should be planned to commence from communal pattern of farming; but instead of individuals to farm small piece of land, the individuals shall be encouraged to, on their own evolution, form cooperative units of three to ten persons per unit. As it used to be, they can then cultivate each person’s farm in rotation or aggregate their farms to form a single unit.

This approach is natural because an extended family (lineage) can form one or more farm units, depending on the size and individual’s relationship within the extended family set-up. Such practice shall be extended to fishing, where such a unit shall purchase fishing rights of lakes and streams. In this process, they can attract Government and development partners’ financial and technical assistance. We wish to emphasize that this theory or approach is different from that of Tanzania’s Ujamaa (village) farms where Government was directly involved in the villageization process, as well as purchasing the farm produce for wider distribution.

In CAAB, development starts with planning with the peasant farmers and workers. In the process of farming together as unit, it shall be natural to evolve appropriate technology (tools) to increase yield and farm size. While part of the output shall be consumed as food, the surplus shall form raw materials for, first, agro-allied cottage industries, such as preservation (cold room), processing, and secondly, for exchange (trade).

The development should start with the people, who through the process of communal farming shall propel the “invention” of appropriate technology. These technologies shall then be applied in the “agro” phase to increase and preserve agricultural produce - foods and raw materials.  This is important because we have noticed in this country that as a result of inappropriate and inadequate preservation, a large mango, orange, okro, yam, etc would not be in circulation beyond their seasons. Thus, the abundance of the food and raw materials shall lead to the emergence of agro-allied industries that would process and store them. This shall also spur the establishment of cottage industries, and exchange (commercial) activities. It should be emphasized that each of the three phases in Figure 1-2 is capable of creating a lot of job opportunities for our people, as well as, making them become entrepreneurs.

Whereas, CAAB is inter-locked and multi-dimensional, there shall be peculiar emphasis at each Phase of the development process to avoid previous mistakes that have made it difficult for such programmes to be adequately nurtured and developed before rushing to another phase, such as the industrial Phase III. The previous mistakes were such that it was when industries were built that we suddenly realized where to source the raw materials, spare parts, expertise and even the markets for them. At this point, it is necessary to discuss the major phases (pillars) of CAAB. They are:

1)            That the building blocs (catalyst) of development capable of reducing unemployment, poverty and create jobs are the peasant farmers and working class people of Nigeria, instead of depending upon money to establish industries that depend on foreign inputs.

2)            That CAAB is an efficient labour intensive approach to providing employment and income for the unemployed people, and it is capable of inducing establishment of small-medium-large scale enterprises without unduly stampeding any phase as to repeat previous mistakes. Accordingly, every man and woman is an integral part of CAAB, and has the opportunity to fully participate in the development process of Nigeria. This is also known as the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) where State and Federal Governments are required to create the enabling environment for the process.

3)            That CAAB is not the same as African socialism or unplanned communalism because the theory incorporates other building blocs (Phases) that gradually leads to economic self-reliance and production. That CAAB is still a capitalist mode of production but refined historical materialism in light of our peculiar historical experiences. That CAAB is not an agricultural revolution as advocated by Samir Amin and/or Adebayo Adedeji’s alternative industrialization strategies for Africa, nor Whiteman Rostow’s five stages of development that are conceived, planned and executed from top-bottom. Instead, CAAB is a bottom-top process initiated by the peasants and workers themselves. 

4)            That Government’s role in CAAB is to create the required conducive atmospheres inform of initiating and executing good policies and good governance for the farmers and workers to attain pre-determined development and market targets.

 Although they are not exhausted, these produce shall provide the food, raw materials and other domestic needs, as well as supply the world markets on steady basis for the country. It is for this reason that we advocate that the alternative path to reducing unemployment is re-discovering communal-peasant agriculture that the people themselves can manage. This path shall gradually progress from one phase to another until it will necessitate establishment of plantation Phases through natural process.