essay on agriculture in nigeria

Nigeria at a glance

Nigeria Agriculture at a Glance

Between January and March 2021, the agriculture contributed to 22.35 percent of the total Gross Domestic Product. ( https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165865/contribution-of-oil-sector-to-gdp-in-nigeria/ ). Over 70 percent [1] of Nigerians engage in the agriculture sector mainly at a subsistence level.

Despite the contribution to the economy, Nigeria’s agricultural sector faces many challenges which impact on its productivity. These include; poor land tenure system, low level of irrigation farming, climate change and land degradation. Others are low technology, high production cost and poor distribution of inputs, limited financing, high post-harvest losses and poor access to markets.

These challenges have stifled agricultural productivity affecting the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP as well as increased food imports due population rise hence declining levels of food sufficiency. For instance, between 2016 and 2019 [2] Nigeria’s cumulative agricultural imports stood at N3.35 trillion, four times higher than the agricultural export of N803 billion within the same period.

The Government has implemented several initiatives and programmes to address the situation including the Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP), Nigeria–Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Programme, Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative, Economic and Export Promotion Incentives and the Zero Reject Initiative,  Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+); Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP); Action Against Desertification (AAD) Programme, among others.

All these efforts aim to increase agricultural productivity in order to provide sufficient quantities of food to meet domestic demand as well as an abundance of commodity crops for export in the international market. Besides, they aim at reversing forest loss and degradation; promoting sustainable management of natural resources; rehabilitation of degraded lands and reducing erosion and climate vulnerability.

Nigeria has 70.8 million hectares of agriculture land area with maize, cassava, guinea corn, yam beans, millet and rice being the major crops. Nigeria’s rice production rose from 3.7 million metric tons in 2017 to 4.0 million metric tons in 2018. Inspite of this, only  57percent of the 6.7 million  metric tons of rice consumed in Nigeria annually is locally produced leading to a deficit of about 3 million metric tons, which is either imported or smuggled into the country illegally. To stimulate local production, the Government banned importation of rice in 2019.

As for cassava, Nigeria produced 59 million [3] tons in 2017, making it the world’s largest producer (approximately 20 percent of global production). The economic potentials are enormous, with high revenue yields from both domestic value addition and derived income as well as revenues for the government [4] . With improved varieties and production techniques, production is anticipated to increase.

Animal production has remained underexploited. Livestock mostly reared by farm families in Nigeria are the small ruminants like goats (76 million), sheep (43.4million), and cattle (18.4 million) . The ecology in the northern part of the country makes it famous for livestock keeping. In addition to small and large ruminants, poultry population stands at 180 million poultry (FMARD, 2017). Here too domestic demand outweighs production despite several interventions by development partners to improve production and safeguard against diseases including transboundary animal diseases.

Nigeria is the largest fish consumer in Africa and among the largest fish consumers in the world with about 3.2 million metric tons of fish consumed annually. Its fisheries and aquaculture are among the fastest growing subsectors in the country. With a coastline of 853km and over 14 million hectares of inland waters, total fish production per year is close to 1 million metric tons (313,231 metric tons from aquaculture and 759,828 metric tons from fisheries). Fishing is a vital livelihood for the poor as well as an important protein source at the household level in Nigeria. [5] The aquaculture sub-sector is considered a very viable alternative to meeting the nation's need for self-sufficiency in fish production and nutritional needs.

The contribution of forestry to agriculture and development in general cannot be overstressed. Nigeria’s forest ecosystems are threatened by rapid population growth and economic activities with annual deforestation rate ranging between 0.72 and 2.38percent, according to FAO 2018 report. Agricultural expansion, heavy reliance on firewood and charcoal for energy, unsustainable timber extraction, urbanization, grazing, bush fires, infrastructure development are among the factors behind this trend.

With the increasing population, estimated to reach 400 million by 2050, enhanced agriculture productivity through adaptation of new technologies and innovations is necessary to ensure food security and nutrition. Support from all partners to the efforts by the federal and state governments is central for achieving this goal

[1] https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Nigeria-AGRICULTURE.html

[2] https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/afcfta-agribusiness-current-state-nigeria-agriculture-sector.pdf

[3] https://www.iita.org/cropsnew/cassava/

[4] https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/cassava-production-nigeria-report-2020.pdf

[5] Payne I. The changing role of fisheries in development policy. Natural Resource Perspectives, ODI/DFID. 2000 

Economic Importance of Agriculture for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

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• Kehinde Mary Bello 6  

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Poverty is a multidirectional socioeconomic problem. It is a major phenomenon in developing countries with different dimension and facet. It is a global issue which is prominent in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries as it affects over 767million people living in extreme poverty while two-third live in rural areas (World Bank 2016 ). It is a state in which an individual is unable to cater for basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, lack of skills, gainful employment, and self-esteem. In addition, limited access to economic infrastructure and social welfare like health care, education, portable water, security, deficiency of resources such as basic infrastructures: electricity supply, good roads, schools; asset and susceptibility to illness that leads to physical deprivation and hunger (CBN 1999 ; World Bank 2000 ). Furthermore, poverty as cited in Aderonmu ( 2010 ) is the lack of command over basic needs; undergoing insufficient level of consumption and the inability to...

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Bello, K.M. (2021). Economic Importance of Agriculture for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Wall, T. (eds) Decent Work and Economic Growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95867-5_124

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Agriculture and Food Security in Nigeria

Unlocking Nigeria’s Agricultural Potential: Strategies for Growth, Employment, and Food Security

Among the most enduring and damaging impacts of Nigeria’s oil and gas resource curse has been the long, steady decline of the country’s agricultural sector. Once the primary source of government revenue and foreign exchange earnings, agriculture in Nigeria has suffered from decades of underinvestment, corruption, policy neglect, and lost opportunity. Today, despite its vast agricultural potential, the country is a net food importer of food, with the vast majority of people engaged in agriculture operating at subsistence level.

The CSIS Africa Program, in conjunction with the Global Food Security Project , will examine Nigeria’s evolving agricultural landscape, identifying the major obstacles to growth and productivity, the challenges that small holder farmers confront, and the drivers of food insecurity, particularly in parts of the country’s Northern states. The project will also identify positive examples of change and reform at state and federal levels as well as promising private sector investments that illustrate the possibilities of growth, broad-based employment, and shared prosperity. Finally, the project will examine Nigeria’s designation as an “aligned” country within the U.S. Feed the Future initiative to see how the assistance it receives compares with that of Feed the Future focus countries. Given Nigeria’s size and regional influence and the importance of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership, should the United States be doing more to work with Nigeria to address food security?

The project will include podcast interviews with a range of Nigerian public and private sector stakeholders, a series of background briefs on aspects of Nigeria’s agricultural and food security challenge, and, following field visits in 2016, a final report on the impact and potential of U.S. engagement.

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Home > Books > Rural Areas - Development and Transformations [Working Title]

Agricultural Sector Policy Periods and Growth Pattern in Nigeria (1960–2020): Implications on Agricultural Performance

Submitted: 27 November 2022 Reviewed: 17 March 2023 Published: 01 June 2023

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.111382

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This study examined agricultural policy periods in Nigeria (1960–2020) and the sector’s growth pattern during the period. Three specific policy periods were introduced: the independence and first decade (1960–1969), oil boom and policy reconstruction (1970–1985), and policy stabilization era (1986–2020). Trend analysis was carried out to establish the pattern of agricultural output during these policy periods. The overall share of agriculture to Nigeria GDP has a steady downward trend in the first policy period (1960–1969). However, the agricultural sector of Nigeria significantly contributed to its GDP, especially in the early 60’s. The country experienced stagnated pattern of growth in the agriculture sector within the oil boom and policy reconstruction period. There was an increasing trend in the era of policy stabilization (1986–2020) associated with the availability of a national policy document on agriculture which propelled the rolling out of various programmes and strategies targeted at massive agricultural production.

• agricultural performance
• agricultural policy
• growth pattern
• rural development

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Ufedo m. shaibu *.

• Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Nigeria

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

The important role of the agricultural sector in contributing to Nigeria’s economy is reflected in various agricultural policies which birthed reforms under both the military and civilian regimes. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa started implementing Structural Adjustment Programmes in the late 1970s and by the 1980s, this is sequel to the belief that the implementation of reforms had become a condition to receive loans from international donor agencies such as the World Bank [ 1 ].

In Nigeria, Operation Feed the Nation was launched by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 1976, with the aim of encouraging self-sufficiency in food production and participation in agricultural production [ 2 ]. Between 1976 and 1980, the country also launched the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Schemes, established agricultural commodity marketing and pricing boards, and promulgated the land use policy. An agricultural extension and technology transfer policy, input supply and distribution policy and an agricultural research policy were also established. Furthermore, the regime established the River Basin Development Authorities, agricultural cooperatives policy and agricultural mechanization policy [ 3 ].

There was the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) (1980–1989) introduced as suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) [ 4 ]. The essence of SAP was to transform agriculture from the peasant level of production to commercial or large-scale production in order to increase its contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while using it as a tool for employment creation and food self-sufficiency. In addition to the establishment of the Green Revolution policy, the government also embarked on the creation of several agricultural research institutes such as the: National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI); National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Service (NAERLS); Veterinary Research Institute (VRI); Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN); Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN); and Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN); with the aim of increasing agricultural research and encouraging the study of agriculture in tertiary institutions.

Evidence revealed that Nigeria did not have an explicit statement of National Agricultural Policy document prior to 1988 [ 3 ]. At independence in 1960, national planning and policies were formulated to achieve economic growth and development. Nigeria used unarticulated administrative and political pronouncements to guide, support, and facilitate the operations of agricultural activities [ 5 ].

The 1988 National Agricultural Policy document produced by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (FMARD) was decreed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to be operationalized for a minimum of fifteen (15) years with the aim of improving agricultural production and creating export markets. The 1988 policy document which became operational in 1989 [ 6 , 7 ] was reviewed and the country came up with a new Agricultural Policy document of 2001 with the broad aim of achieving food self-sufficiency and food security [ 8 ].

In 2011, there was the formulation of the Nigerian Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) to revitalize the agricultural sector [ 9 ]. The goal of ATA was to achieve a hunger-free Nigeria through an agricultural sector that drives income growth, accelerates the achievement of food and nutritional security, generates employment and transforms Nigeria into a leading player in global food markets to grow wealth for millions of farmers [ 9 ]. The Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) of 2016–2020 (Green Alternative) was developed by the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the national agricultural policy framework to drive the growth and development of agriculture in Nigeria. It builds on the successes of ATA and it is specifically aimed at producing enough fresh and high-quality foods to the Nigeria market while ensuring food security [ 10 ]. The loftiness of the outcome of these policies – reforms and programmes and their goals notwithstanding, Nigeria is not self-sufficient in food production and the majority of her citizens are poor and food insecure [ 11 , 12 ]. What then, is the agricultural growth pattern during various policy periods?

2. Government policies and plans in Nigeria (1960–2020)

Nigeria has over the years, experienced four officially recognized planning phases preceding the Structural Adjustment phase since independence geared towards food self—sufficiency vis-à-vis food security. These are the first National development plan 1962–1968, the second National development plan 1970–1979, the third National Development plan 1975–1980, and the fourth National development plan 1980–1985.

The First National Development Plan of 1962–1968 was Nigeria’s first official planning were deliberate efforts were made to quantify national objectives. This phase primarily focused on export development but could not meet its expectations due to poor planning, poor feasibility studies, improper valuation, political interference, and low academic input. Food production was also neglected during this planning phase [ 13 ].

The second development plan (1970–1979) was aimed at reintegrating, reconstructing and rehabilitating (3Rs) the economy after Nigeria’s civil war. The plan did not give agriculture the much-needed priority. The sector only had 12.9% allocation when compared with transportation and communication sectors which got 28% each of the funds budgeted for the plan. This period was the era of Nigeria’s oil discovery.

The oil boom of the 1970s caused a decline in agricultural production as attention tilted to other sectors of the economy. While the manufacturing sector grew at 13.3% in 1975 and 1976, agriculture recorded a growth in the reverse order (−2.3%). Consumption increased at a geometric rate, driving massive food importation, capital equipment, and raw materials. The country’s importation overshoots its ceiling by 46.5%. Food production could not match with the expanding economy and the food crisis also became evident as food importation grew by almost 400%.

The third National Development plan (1975–1980) and the fourth National development plan (1980–1985) witnessed some level of agricultural growth. The growth could be associated with an increase in Nigeria’s revenue as a result of the oil boom. The third national development plan allocated N 2.201Billion to the agricultural sector which was split among the sub-sectors: crop (74.5%), livestock (15.6%), fisheries (4.6%), and forestry (5%). This phase of national development made concerted efforts to revamp the agricultural sector through various sectoral programmes and reforms targeted at food self-sufficiency. The plan however performed below expectations.

Oil production in Nigeria was at its peak before the Fourth National Development Plan. Oil production was at a record high of 2.3 million barrels while the price had risen from 3.56 USD per barrel in 1973 to 13.69 USD. Following this, the fourth plan became ambitious and production was estimated to grow to 3 million barrel per day. The price per barrel, however, crashed to 12USD due to demand by major oil buyers; this led to a reduction in production by 50% of the projected quantity. This phase experienced massive borrowing by the government due to a fall in oil price and quantity. However, increased consumption associated with a geometric rate of population growth propelled importation [ 3 ].

Interventions in the fourth Plan were essentially aimed at consolidating the gains made in the earlier Plans, especially the third. During the fourth Plan, progress in the agricultural sector and indeed many sectors was slow. The agricultural sector was particularly vulnerable to the recession of that period which led to massive food import with available scarce foreign exchange resources. The floating of the naira, as far as the agricultural sector was concerned, was aimed at stimulating local food production by making import expensive. However, this has not happened in the dimension expected [ 14 ].

The shortfall in Nigeria’s economic development before the mid-1980s led to a comprehensive economic recovery plan – the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). The economic situation before SAP was characterized by bureaucratic challenges which the SAP policy sought to remove. SAP was eventually introduced in 1986. The main elements of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) can be summarized to include: diversification of the productive base of the national economy to minimize the dangers of dependence on a few sectors; diversification of the export earnings to reduce the predominant role of oil in Nigeria’s export earnings; minimizing and eliminating domestic and external imbalances regarding budget deficit and restore balance of payment equilibrium; streamlining public expenditures; reducing import dependency and unviable import patterns; and moving the economy away from extensive and strangulating administrative controls to a more viable system that relies more on prices that reflect the underlying structural forces of supply and demand [ 3 ].

3. Nigeria rural development strategies and agricultural Programmes

Nigeria has established different agricultural development programmes since its independence in strategizing rural development and food security-related issues. Some of these programmes are discussed briefly.

National Accelerated Food Production Programme (NAFPP), introduced in 1973 to induce farmers to increase the production of food by encouraging the use of modern agricultural practices. The programme commenced in 1974 and operated through the national crop centers, while the agro-services centers provided the needed infrastructure. NAFPP was aimed at inducing farmers to adopt those seed, fertilizer and cultural practice packages best suited to particular environments. According to Idachaba [ 3 ], the programme went through what he called the Mini-kit and production kit in eight pilot states and was to vigorously move on to the mass adoption phase. By 1976, NAFPP was de-emphasized and replaced by the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN).

There was the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), in launched 1976 to steer Nigeria away from excessive dependence on oil. It encouraged Nigerians to produce the food they consume individually or in groups. It was administered by a national council at the Federal level, State, and Local Government Areas (LGAs). During OFN, fertilizer was imported and sold to farmers at subsidized rates, storage facilities were constructed at strategic places all over the country; land clearing and land preparation were subsidized and subsidy was introduced on agro-chemicals. Generally, OFN tried to increase the number of farmers and raise people’s awareness of the key role agriculture could play in the country. Everybody was enjoined to farm the land near him. However, for various reasons, these efforts did not produce the bumper harvest as expected and were latter branded, Operation Fool the Nation [ 15 ]. Idachaba [ 3 ] noted some of the drawbacks of OFN to include: incomplete and inadequate conceptual underpinnings, operational drawbacks, lack of an overall food strategy, and lack of monitoring and evaluation procedures.

The National Green Revolution Programme (NGRP) was also launched in April 1980 by the administration of Shehu Shagari to conquer food insecurity in Nigeria. To enhance the implementation of the NGRP, the government named the National Council on Green Revolution to work hand in hand with the State committees to ensure that all barriers to agricultural input supply were removed. Idachaba [ 3 ] highlighted the objectives of the NGRP to include; increase food production and other raw materials, increase livestock and fish production, and increase the production and processing of export crops. But unfortunately, the programme’s aim was defeated due to the high level of corruption. The programme was suspended when the military took over in 1984.

In an attempt to enhance the flow of agricultural loans to the agricultural sector, the government through the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in 1978. However, by the late 1980s, it was obvious that a major setback of the ACGS was the non-performance of loans guaranteed under the scheme. The high rate of loan default among farmers discouraged banks from extending more credits under ACGS.

The River Basin Development Authority (RBDA) was introduced in 1973 and commenced trials at Sokoto-Rima and Chad Basin in 1974. This was extended to other areas in 1976 and formally launched on the 26th of May 1977. Nigeria has 11 RBDA created in 1976 by the federal government to harness the country’s water resources and optimize Nigeria’s agricultural resources for food self-sufficiency.

Directorate for Food, Road, and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI) was established in 1986 to provide rural roads and support food production. By 1987, the DFFRI embarked on the construction of more feeder roads, commenced implementation of the national water supply scheme, launched the national rural markets and electrification programmes to enhance crops and livestock production. The programme was planned as a comprehensive integrated food production and rural development agenda across all the States of the federation. However, DFFRI failed due to a lack of funds and commitment. On paper, it was great but in actual practice, the programme was invested with massive corruption and eventually frustration [ 16 ].

There were also the Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) which is an integrated approach that came into being as a result of the failure of special crop programmes to achieve rural development and food security objectives of government in Nigeria [ 17 ]. According to Okolo [ 14 ], the ADPs were a powerful tool in the modernization of the agriculture of rural communities. The successes achieved in Funtua, Gusau and Gombe projects, and later in Lafia and Anyigba projects led to the establishment of full-blown state-wide ADPS. Up to date, it has continued to provide extension, technical support, and training for the large farm-household population in all the states. Its activities are currently being held down by a lack of funds.

The advent of civilian administration in 1999 propelled greater attention to food production. The Nigerian government made some commitment to combat hunger and malnutrition by providing adequate food for the people and ensures food security for all. To achieve this goal, therefore, various food security initiatives were launched [ 16 , 18 ]; they include:

Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS): This is a programme by which the government sought the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in disseminating information on proven and accessible technologies to 109 farming communities across the country to enhance food production and substantially increase income levels of the farmers.

Root and Tuber Expansion Programme: This is an agricultural programme supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which made available to farmers the necessary information on improved processing technology and expansion technique for cassava and cassava products.

Fadama Development Project: The Fadama project is for ensuring all-season farming through large scale irrigation systems or naturally flooded areas ( Fadama ) of arable crops, plants, fruits, and vegetables.

Community-based agricultural and rural development schemes: This comes under different names such as farm settlement or back-to-land programmes. In this type of schemes the participants who are usually men, are encouraged by the government to take to farming by providing them with material and financial support.

Provision of infrastructures: Such as linking up the rural areas through new access roads and grading the old ones; supplying energy through rural electrification; distributing farm inputs like seedlings and fertilizer; selling or leasing tractors and harvesters to farmers to encourage mechanized farming and providing improved storage facilities to reduce post-harvest loss of agricultural products, put at between 25 and 30% [ 16 ].

As part of a government initiative to reduce poverty, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS) initiative was introduced in 2003. The initiative which gave priority to agriculture and peasant farmers was meant as a medium-term strategy by the federal, state and local government. NEEDS identified the need for private sector participation and the constraints inhibiting such participation with a view to tackle them. Among other initiatives, NEEDS developed new agricultural policies based on targets set to achieve the effective implementation of an export-driven agricultural sector as well as an increase in the cultivation of arable land through private sector participation, using adequate incentive schemes [ 4 ].

4. Agricultural sector policy periods in Nigeria (1960–2020)

4.1 study area and data collection.

The study area is Nigeria; a West African country which has a population of more than 200,000,000 people (growth rate of 2.58 per cent by the National Population Commission, [ 19 ]). The country has spatial population distribution with about 63 per cent dwelling in rural areas and 37 per cent in the urban areas [ 20 ]. Nigeria is located between 3 0 and 14 0 East Longitudes and 4 0 and 14 0 North Latitudes [ 21 ]. The two major seasons are; the wet season which lasts from April to October, and the dry season which lasts from November through March.

Secondary data for 1960–2020 on Nigeria’s agricultural sector policy, agricultural output and other relevant data in this study were gotten from the publications of the World Bank’s World Development Indicator (WDI). Data obtained were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively – using graphs.

4.2 Agricultural policy periods

In establishing the agricultural sector policy and programmes, three specific periods were introduced in this study, these are: the independence and first decade (1960–1969), oil boom and policy reconstruction (1970–1985), and policy stabilization era (1986–2020).

4.2.1 Independence and first decade (1960–1969)

Prior to Nigeria’s independence, about 50 percent of agricultural programmes or ‘policies’ (e.g. the Forest Policy, 1937; Forest Policy, 1945; Policy for the Marketing of Oils, Oil Seeds and Cotton, 1948; Forest Policy for Western Region, 1952; Policy for Natural Resources, 1956; and Western Nigeria Policy of Agricultural and Natural Resources, 1959) were focused on forest and natural resources with little or no emphasis on food and animal production. In the early 1960, Farm Settlement Scheme was the only documented agricultural scheme or programme that evolved. During this period, Nigeria basically adopted the export driven policy system to produce raw materials for the export market in servicing foreign industries and markets (Britain and Europe). The period also witnessed the establishment of several agricultural research institutes and extension research liaison services; Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Service (AERLS) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria established in 1963; The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) established in 1967, and International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA).

4.2.2 Oil boom and policy reconstruction (1970–1985)

This period was characterized by oil revenue boom and high levels of public expenditures by the Federal Government. During this period, the national government initiated and implemented various agricultural specific policies (though there was no national policy document for the agricultural sector), programmes and projects. According to Okuneye and Ayinde [ 22 ], the specific agriculture sector policies were meant to facilitate agricultural marketing, reduce agricultural production cost and enhance agricultural product prices as incentives for increased agricultural production. Major policy instruments during the oil boom and policy reconstruction include: Agricultural Commodity Marketing and Pricing Policy; Input Supply and Distribution Policy; Agricultural Input Subsidy Policy; Agricultural Mechanization Policy; Water Resources and Irrigation Policy; and Agricultural Extension and Technology Transfer Policy ([ 3 , 22 ]; and [ 13 ]). The Federal Government of Nigeria also implemented the following agricultural specific programmes during this period for effective production activities; National Accelerated Food Production Programme (NAFPP), launched in 1973; Operation Feed the Nation, launched in 1976; River Basin and Rural Development Authorities, established in 1976; the promulgation of a Land Use Decree in 1978 which nationalized all land, and established new Commodity Boards; and Green Revolution Programme, inaugurated in 1980.

4.2.3 Policy stabilization era (1986–2020)

This period witnessed the development of national policy documents for the agricultural sector. The first national policy document of 1989 was designed to prioritize agriculture beyond the first four national development plans (1962–1968, 1970–1974, 1975–1980, and 1981–1985). The 1989 document produced by the FMARD was decreed by the FGN to be operational for at least fifteen (15) years. The 1989 policy document was reviewed and Nigeria developed the 2004 new agricultural policy document – a more detailed as it includes important areas of agriculture which were not emphasized in the 1989 document with the aim of achieving food self-sufficiency and food security. The new agricultural policy document of 2004 covers; agricultural resources, livestock, fisheries, agroforestry production, pest control, mechanization, water resources and irrigation, rural infrastructure, agricultural extension and technology transfer, research and development, insurance, agricultural statistics and information management, among others. In 2011, Nigeria produced the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) on three pillars – grow food, create jobs, and ensure food security. Among other things, ATA was developed to: reposition agriculture to drive Nigeria’s economy; make Nigeria an agriculturally industrialized economy; treat agriculture as a business; integrate food production, storage, food processing, and industrial manufacturing by value chain; focus on value chain where Nigeria has comparative advantage; and design new policies, Institutions, and financing structures to drive sector growth. The Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) or Green Alternatives of 2016 was developed by the present administration to build on and overcome the shortcomings (input supply, financing, infrastructure and logistics, production, and market access) of ATA 2011. The overall aim of APP 2016 was to unlock the potential for Nigeria’s agricultural value chain – produce enough fresh and high quality foods, and serve the export market successfully and earn foreign exchange.

Some of the specific policy instruments put in place during policy stabilization era included: fiscal policies (a five year tax-free period for profits earned by companies engaged in agricultural production and agro-processing was provided), monetary policies, trade policies, agricultural support service policies, and rural development policy. The civilian regime was characterized with specific programmes and interventions such as: special programme on food security of 1999, Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) of 1999, integrated rural development strategy of 2000, the presidential initiatives on selected commodities (rice, vegetable oil, and cassava) of 2001, FADAMA II and III programmes of 2003 and 2009, respectively, cocoa rebirth programme of 2003, NEEDS of 2004, national fertilizer policy for Nigeria of 2006, the 7 – point agenda of 2007–2011 (food security and land reform inclusive), and the 5-Point Agenda of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR), 2007–2011. The 5 – point agenda include Developing Agricultural Policy and Regulatory Systems (DAPRS), Food Systems Network (FOODSNet), Rural Sector Enhancement Programme (RUSEP), Developing Agriculture Inputs Markets in Nigeria (DAIMINA), and Maximizing Agricultural Revenue in Key Enterprises (MARKETS).

4.3 Agriculture growth pattern under the identified policy regimes

Graphical illustration was utilized to compliment findings on the identified policy periods within the period under study. It was further used to familiarize with general pattern or trend of the data. Trend analysis was used to spot any pattern or trend, for example, by observing whether the percentage shares of agriculture were trending up, trending down or constant in relation to GDP. The goal was to see if there are any systematic patterns over time.

It could be observed in Figures 1 and 2 that the overall share of agriculture to Nigeria GDP has a steady downward trend in the first policy period or regime (1960–1969). Despite the observed downward trend, the agricultural sector of Nigeria significantly contributed to its GDP, especially in the early 60’s. This observation is consistent with earlier findings by Anyanwu et al. [ 23 ] which showed the dominance of agriculture share of GDP [ 24 ] in the 60’s, though at a declining rate.

Trend of agriculture sector percentage share to Nigeria GDP, 1960–2020. Source: Researcher’s computation using FAO and WDI data, 2021.

Trend of agriculture sector percentage share to Nigeria GDP under policy regimes. Source: Researcher’s computation using FAO and WDI data, 2021.

During the oil boom and policy reconstruction period (1970–1985), the agricultural sector of Nigeria experienced a general decline. The sharp decline was basically observed in 1970–1981. The observed trend within this period was however not surprising as there was massive commercial exploitation of oil resources, which turned the trend against agriculture and its associated sectors (e.g., the industrial sector). The oil boom of Nigeria was supposed to have favored the agricultural sector, especially with regards to mechanization and rural development. However, the oil boom portended serious decline in agriculture and its overall contribution to the economy. The graphical trend agrees with Ahungwa et al. [ 25 ] when they found an undulating trend, intertwining with the industrial sector of Nigeria within 1970–1989. The findings of this study further corroborate the United States Department of State (2005) report and Sekumade [ 26 ] that the oil boom era, which resulted in extensive exploration and export of petroleum and its products led to neglect of agriculture and light manufacturing bases in favor of an unhealthy dependence on oil.

The country experienced a visible sharp decline in 1973 and 1974 despite the prioritization of food production in Nigeria’s Second National Development Plan of 1970–1974. The prioritization was necessitated by the Nigerian civil war which created economic hardship and hunger due mainly to food shortages [ 27 ]. Shimada [ 28 ] however criticized this strategy stating that government’s pretense towards agriculture was obvious, considering the budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector which did not reflect the claimed priority (7.7% against the 23.1 per cent expenditure on transportation sector).

Figures 1 and 2 further shows that the percentage share of agriculture sector to Nigeria’s GDP generally experienced an increasing trend in the era of policy stabilization (1986–2020). The increasing trend could be attributed to the availability of a national policy document on agriculture which propelled the rolling out of various programmes and strategies targeted at massive agricultural production for food self-sufficiency. The period also marked the beginning of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and a deregulated economy. Exchange rate deregulation was the major policy instrument during the SAP of 1986. Ahungwa et al. [ 25 ] associated the increasing trend to the involvement of Federal Government in direct food production, provision of subsidies to smallholder farmers and creation of more commodity boards for various agricultural and food products under programmes like Operation Feed the Nation. Government programmes, interventions (during the democratic dispensation) and subsequent national policy documents on agricultural production could further be associated with the growth pattern experienced in the third policy era.

5. Conclusion

Three specific policy periods were introduced in this review: the independence and first decade (1960–1969), oil boom and policy reconstruction (1970–1985), and policy stabilization era (1986–2020). Trend analysis was carried out to establish the pattern of agricultural output during these policy periods. The country experienced stagnated pattern of growth in the agriculture sector within the oil boom and policy reconstruction period; while there was an accelerating growth pattern during the policy stabilization era. The agricultural sector must be consciously prioritized if national food security is to be achieved. This can be done through deliberate policy approaches and implementations that guarantee self-sufficiency in food production.

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Challenges And Opportunities In Nigeria's Agricultural Sector

Nigeria is a formerly agrarian country that in the past supplied many agricultural products to the world market and provided itself with food. Everything changed after the shift of government focus agriculture to the mining sector. Nigeria is still a country with significant resources for successful farming. However, the country is experiencing considerable nutrition deficiencies and sharp food insecurity. The population growth rate of Nigeria exceeds the pace of agricultural production; the industry has low labor productivity, which is coupled with high labor intensity of production. The current state of both plant growing and animal husbandry is characterized by a low level of mechanization and the lack of modern means of caring for animals and plants. The country needs further intensification of production to increase agricultural output to provide food for its rapidly growing population and to increase exports. The aim of the work is to conduct a SWOT analysis, which summarizes some of the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats to the modern development of the agricultural industry in Nigeria. The research issue is the current state of agriculture in Nigeria. The analysis makes it possible to forecast the prospect of in-country transformations and the strategic development of the country in the long term. The methods used in the study include empirical, theoretical and quantitative methods. It is recommended that the Government of Nigeria would focus on the development of legislation that takes into account all identified factors and create conditions for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Keywords: Agriculture , food security , Nigeria , SWOT analysis , sustainable development

Introduction

The development of agriculture in the late 1960s and early 1970s was greatly influenced by the civil war (1967–1970), when military expenditures significantly exceeded the amount of financing channeled to the agricultural sector; many types of economic activity, including agricultural one, were suspended, and infrastructure was destroyed. In subsequent years, the emergence of oil as the dominant source of export revenue became the main reason for reallocating state financial support to the extractive industry and reducing the allocation of funds for agriculture.

This reallocation caused many negative consequences for agriculture, the main of which was the insufficient food production to meet the demand of the population. It seems necessary to identify and group some factors that impede the sustainable development of agriculture in modern conditions. Based on this analysis, it is expected to infer the recommendations regarding the agricultural policy of Nigeria.

Problem Statement

Modern agriculture in Nigeria does not ensure the country's food security. Despite the improvement of production indicators, local agricultural producers cannot satisfy the demands of the constantly growing population of the country. The underdevelopment of agriculture is influenced by a whole host of factors, which may be identified and grouped using SWOT analysis. The analysis and the clustered factors will help to see the development of agricultural production in Nigeria, determine the existing reserves for their implementation, and help to develop recommendations for the government.

Research Questions

The research issue is the current state of agriculture in Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to conduct a SWOT analysis and infer the recommendations to stabilize the state of agricultural production.

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01 July 2021

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Land economy, land planning, rural development, resource management, real estates, agricultural policies

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Gavrilova, N. G. (2021). Challenges And Opportunities In Nigeria's Agricultural Sector. In D. S. Nardin, O. V. Stepanova, & V. V. Kuznetsova (Eds.), Land Economy and Rural Studies Essentials, vol 113. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 556-562). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2021.07.67

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A Review of Current Status of Agricultural Mechanization in Nigeria

Agricultural mechanization is the harnessing, controlling and organising all inputs of production such as land, capital, labour, as well as research, education, communication/information, and engineering/technology in agricultural practices (Asoegwu and Asoegwu, 2007). It embraces the use of tools, implements, and machines for agricultural land development, crop production, harvesting, and preparation for storage, storage, and on-farm processing. With enormous advantages obtainable from it and its attendant effect on the wellbeing of the people, Nigeria is lagging behind in fully mechanizing her agricultural sector. This is due to much neglect of the sector by the private sector leaving most investment in the hands of a government. Also, lack of clear cut policies on agricultural mechanization and the inability of successive governments to continue with some good policies of former administrations has reduced mechanizing Nigerian agriculture to mere lip service, therefore affecting the output of this sector. Though the present government is building on the gains of former administration's policies on agriculture, more still need to be done to put the nation on the right path of becoming self-sufficient and exporter of agricultural products (either agro-raw materials or processed products). This paper holistically looks at the current status of agricultural mechanization, its prospects, and challenges. Hence, proffering a way forward to them

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Samuel Sule

Ijoabs An Open Access Journal

The task of transforming agricultural productivity has been a great challenge to various tiers of governments in Nigeria. This paper discussed the various programs embarked upon by previous and present governments all with the aim of boosting agricultural production through tractorization which is an arm of mechanization. The paper reviewed critically the previous attempts and came up with some recommendations to address the tractorization needs of the country. However, there is the need to come up with an agricultural mechanization and tractorization policy for Nigeria which should cover mechanical, draught animal, wind energy, solar power and hydro power that generate power for farm use. This policy should drive the agricultural mechanization policy and also the policy should not be politicized for it to achieve the intended purpose-mechanizing Nigerian agriculture. 1.0 INTRODUCTION The task of achieving self-sufficiency in food production in Nigeria is of high priority to government of Nigeria and revitalizing the nation's economy through the transformation of Nigeria's agriculture to its eminent position is not negotiable. Nigeria has a land area of 93.8 million hectares out of which 40 million hectares are arable land (FAOSTAT, 2014). Presently less than half of this land area is being put into productive use due to various factors that include low level of agricultural mechanization. Majority of Nigerian farmers till this day are still utilizing the traditional methods of farming, which is considered inadequate and inappropriate for the ever increasing population. Global trends in developed and developing countries are increasingly casting dark clouds on peasant and subsistence farming. Presently, Nigeria has engaged about 28.2 million hectares which is dominated largely by subsistence farmers that utilized hoe and cutlass for the farming operations. It is therefore, necessary that the federal government policy embraces agricultural mechanization strategy that would not only remove drudgery from agricultural activities but also create the necessary surpluses for export and create jobs that will reduce the current embarrassing levels of unemployment. The inability of the system to arrest youth restiveness and harness same for agricultural mechanization purposes is one of the causes of insurgency in the country and around the world. 2.0 TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT IN AGRICULTURE Technology is any practical process which utilizes scientific knowledge to obtain the desired result with the primary aim of advancing and enhancing human society and conditions. Technology is used to harness the forces of nature and transform the resources that nature has bestowed on man, into goods and services for better quality of life (Oni, 2009). Traditional technologies are the simplest and most basic technology used in agricultural mechanization in Nigeria and to some extent also applied to commercial agriculture. These technologies range from the traditional cutlasses and hoes, to the developed stick and stone tools used in processing of agricultural produce. These hand tool technologies use man as a power source and are inefficient and ineffective for commercial agriculture. Man is limited to about 0.745 kW continuous power output and is therefore, grossly inefficient as a primary source of power. In most parts of Nigeria where arable farmers are predominantly peasants, traditional technologies are still employed for agricultural production and processing activities.

Wasiu Agunbiade Lamidi

Joseph Jr. Aduba

NAERLS Seminar Series

Fadlullah ISSA

This study assessed the roles and challenges of key players in promoting agricultural mechanization in Nigeria. Specifically, it describes the characteristics of key players, discussed their roles, and identified their challenges in promoting agricmechanization. The players (Government, development partners, tractor dealers, fabricators, association, tractor hiring service providers, tractor operators, farmers using agri-machines) were selected across Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, Lagos, and FCT. Checklist was used in an in-depth interview and focus group discussion to elicit relevant information which was analyzed qualitatively. Key informant interview was conducted using telephone. Various models of tractor-hiring operations were identified. Critical issues to be solved in the promotion of agri-mechanization include accessibility to loan, promotion of scheduled maintenance for machines, and curtailing the excesses of tractor operators through the use of tracking device. Identified major challenges of key payers include… It is recommended that local production of machines and equipments should be stimulated by the Government. More so, group ownership of agri-machines should be encouraged (through creation of awareness, regular training and monitoring by extension agencies) to emulate the TOHFAN example in tractor-hiring management. Models and operational strategies used by TOHAN (especially the tracking device) can be adapted by the public tractorhiring services in order to ensure effective tractor-hiring management in Nigeria.

Continental J. Applied Sciences

This paper takes a good look at mechanization approach in helping farmers and processors solve their needs in boosting food security in the rural areas of Nigeria. It delved into the history of mechanization during the pre-independence and post-independence era. The colonialist saw the great need to boost food production through the introduction of tractors, planters, harvesters and processing machinery for agricultural development. After Nigeria’s independence in 1960, successive government recognized the importance of mechanization for the development of the agricultural sector which brought about introducing diverse programmes and initiatives to encourage mechanized farming. One of such programmes was, operation feed the nation (OFN) where farmers were encouraged to embrace mechanized farming techniques as against the old traditional way of farming that involved mainly the use of hoes and cutlasses in carrying out farming operations. In the same vein, the Green Revolution was introduced to promote mechanization and modern agricultural practices. The importance of mechanization to both farmers and processors are numerous as it helps the farmers to minimize time and labour, increase their yield and as well improving the efficient use of resources. Mechanized equipment enable processors to carry out more volumes of agricultural products proficiently. This paper also looked into the myriad of challenges faced by farmers and processors as these include mechanization and environmental impact, inadequate access to information and technical know-how, high startup cost, uneven and small land holdings, availability and problem of quality machine/equipment, low market demand and poor marketing channels, cultural beliefs and socio-economic factors, low technical know-how of mechanization, lack of adequate infrastructural facilities and lack of maintenance and repair services. Resulting from these challenges faced by both farmers and processors, the paper offered ways forward on the country’s drive for food sufficiency through the effective use of mechanization by farmers and processors in the rural areas of Nigeria.

International Journal Of Scientific Advances

Muhammad Ibrahim

The recent innovation in mechanical farming techniques has provided a rapid advancement in farming occupations and has increased both efficiency and productivity in the sector. This review work has investigated the current status of mechanized farming; farm machinery, the domestic factories of the farm implements and their importations, as well as the challenges confronting agricultural mechanization in Nigeria. The paper also discussed and provided the insightful information about the environmental considerations in agricultural mechanization practices.

IJSES Editor

—The assessment of the level of mechanization of crop production in the farm settlement in Ado Ekiti was investigated and analysed. The work was carried out to advise government on how to encourage youth to be interested in crop production. Structured questionnaire was designed to extract information on factors that can make crop production attractive to the youth through mechanisation base on land clearing, ploughing, harrowing, ridging, planting, weeding, fertilizer application and harvesting. Other information also extracted are gender, age, marital status, crop grown, farm size and farming methods. The level at which each of the farm make use of various implement/machines such as tractor, harrow, ridger, planter and harvester was also investigated and analysed. The analysis revealed that 7.2%, 54.4%, 0% and 40.8% of the farmers interviewed had fully mechanized the following crop production steps ridging, pest control, harvesting and irrigation respectively. None of them had ventured into mechanizing harvesting stage. Therefore, the level of mechanisation in Ado Ekiti is low mainly due to the small size of farm land and mixed farming that predominant in the area. Others factors responsible for low turnout of youth in mechanized farming are lack of infrastructure, marketing and financial credits facility.

Sabbas Asoegwu

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MSU Extension World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute

Farming challenges in nigeria.

Sarah Laurenz - July 19, 2017

Sarah Laurenz's essay for Youth World Food Prize discusses farming challenges in Nigeria.

Nigeria has a largely diverse population, allowing different forms of celebrations, festivals, and other forms of entertainment. There is also a wide range of music and food. Nigeria has the largest population of any African country with about 191 million and rising. The wealthiest people include businessmen, politicians, and well-educated men. However, these people make up only a small portion of the population. 90% of Nigeria's population lives on less than $2 a day, and 70% live on less than $1 a day. 62% of the population in Nigeria live in poverty and are unable to get a steady supply of food. These people living in poverty have poor education, lack of opportunities, and have poor health care.

There are three major climates - savanna, tropical forests, and coastal wetlands. Housing is highly dependent on the environment. In the wet regions, houses are built on stilts over top of swamps and travel is done by boats. The houses are usually made with bamboo and wood with leaves from palm trees. They are airy and allow heat and smoke from cooking to escape easily. Men and women in these areas traditionally live in separate houses as opposed to sharing a living space. Housing in the other regions consists mostly of poorly-constructed shanty houses. Because the wetland only covers the coastal area of the region, there are more people that live in dry areas.

The most common type of foods is corn, yams, rice, and cassavas. These can be fried or dried and pounded into flour. 84% of people living in rural areas cook their food over an open fire, heated by wood or straw.

The labor in Nigeria is strongly divided by gender. Women have very few political and professional careers, and those who do are greatly outnumbered and rarely move to higher levels of management. Both men and women farm, but gender division is seen in what kind of crops they grow. For example, yams are considered a man's crop while beans and cassava are thought to be a woman's crop. The family's wealth and land are passed to the oldest male son, so it is difficult for women to gain access to finances. Women try to provide for their family by farming or selling products to local markets. 

Nigeria's average household contains two parents and three kids. The male is typically the head of the household, especially in urban areas. 45% of the country's population is under the age of 15. This makes for crowded schools that are hard to get into. 40% of the children, mainly girls, do not attend school.

Health care in Nigeria is very poor. One in every six children dies before the age of five. Only 5% of Nigerians have health insurance. Poor transportation adds to health problems making it difficult to get to clinics and hospitals.

Nigeria is a republic with a long history of military rule and dictatorship. The government now has two branches: a senate and a house of representatives. Each president is only allowed to serve two four-year terms. All residents in Nigeria are able to vote at the age of eighteen and above. In 2015, 43.65% of the population voted. The military is the largest in West Africa consisting of an army, a navy, an air force, and a police force.

Only 33% of people that live in rural areas have access to electricity. The small amount of power that the country has is decreasing due to fuel costs and the government not investing in maintenance. More people have access to clean water than electricity. Most people that have access to water get it from community wells or streams. However, 70 million people do not have safe drinking water, which is why around 100,000 children die every year from diarrhea and related diseases.

With the favorable climates and a large area of arable land, farming has the potential to become immense. The staple crops include cassava, yams, corn, coco, yams, cowpeas, beans, sweet potatoes, millet, plantains, bananas, rice, and sorghum. 50% of Nigeria’s population works on farms. Most farms are family owned and make only enough food for them or to sell locally. Farms are generally small and scattered and use simple tools and shifting cultivation. These small farms produce about 90% of the total food in Nigeria.

The average temperature in Nigeria is 28 degrees Celsius or 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Along the coast, the average precipitation is about 2,000mm to 3,000mm. In some areas, the rainfall can get up to 4,000mm. These high amounts of rainfall allow there to be many rainforests and swamps. In contrast, the northern areas get around 500mm of precipitation. This allows much of the land to be used for agriculture. In 2013, cultivation took up 40% of the total land use, 20% higher than in 1975.

The soil quality in Nigeria is rated low to medium quality for growing crops. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) concluded that much of the land is medium quality if managed and maintained properly. Nigeria has 84 million hectares (Nigeria’s total is about 91 million hectares) that are able to be farmed. Out of that, only 34 million hectares were being used at the time.

Nigeria’s main export is oil, however, in 1960, it was crops. The country was completely self-sufficient in food. They exported 47% of all groundnuts. It provided 18% of the world's cocoa, second largest exporter in the world. Now it is down to 8%. The country used to produce 65% of Africa's tomatoes but is now the largest importer of tomato paste. 

When an abundance of oil was found, much of the country’s resources that would have gone into agriculture became focused on this rising industry. The country quickly went from being self-reliant on food and being an exporter of crops, to having to import vast amounts of food. Since the 1960’s, Nigeria’s economy has been based off of the oil industry. In 1970, oil made Nigeria the thirteenth richest country. Currently, falling oil prices, corruption, and instability has put the economy at a high risk. Oil reserves were only found on the coast and in the Nigerian Delta region, but the government has taken the oil income and dispersed it through the whole country. These shared profits have caused people to believe they are being cheated out of money and have led to violence. With the money being distributed so many different ways, people are getting almost no profit. A better solution to this would be for the government to take the money and use it to build better roads, schools, hospitals, clean water, and purchase farm equipment.

Akinwumi Adesina, the president of the African Development Bank, stated, "Nigeria is known for nothing else than oil, and it is so sad because we never used to have oil – all we used to have was agriculture." Nigeria's oil has come with the sacrifice of its agriculture sector, he stated, "and that is why we had a rising poverty situation. We were having growth but without robust growth able to impact millions of people because it is not connecting to agriculture."

A possible solution to this would be to push for larger farms that run on machinery. If neighbors within a community work together on a farm using machinery, then they will be able to get a larger crop. Working together and utilizing technology would be beneficial because larger yields feed more people. This also gives the opportunity to grow a variety of crops which will increase the health of the country. The land used for agriculture is increasing in the past few years, but there is still not enough food available for the lower classes.

"Nigeria is said to have 20,000 to 30,000 functional tractor units. But the nation still requires about 1.5 million tractor units to fully boost its food production. This projection is against the backdrop of FAO recommendation of tractorization intensity of 1.5 hp (1.125 kW) per hectare. FAO study further showed that only 1% farm power is supplied by mechanical means in sub-Saharan Africa, 10% of animal draught power while the remaining 89% is from human labor,"AgricultureNigeria.com. Machinery is important in order to make a larger farm. The people that can afford it should look into investing in one or more tractors. Tractors can be used for trailers, transportation, plowing, tilling, harvesting, and much more. The main task to be mechanized is soil tillage. Tilling the soil takes the most time and is difficult to do by hand.

For people that cannot afford machinery, getting an animal such as a donkey, cow, mule, camel, or horse would be a good alternative. This would allow them to expand their farms in a way they can afford. Donkeys are plentiful in northern Nigeria. Currently, they are used mostly for trading and selling the fur, but they can be used for much more. Donkeys can provide power for tilling soil, planting, fertilizing, transportation, a source of meat, and many other functions. People think that using donkeys is old fashioned and backward thinking. However, they are becoming more popular in the north because they are cheap, resistant to many diseases, and can work many hours of labor.

In 2011, Nigeria earned 50.3 billion dollars from exporting oil. A way to allow farmers to get the needed tractors is to have the government give out grants and loans. This would allow farmers to start their industry and get a good business going without finances holding them back. Nigeria’s gross national income (GNI) in 2012 was $68,662,170,556,140. If you take 1% of that income and set it aside for agricultural use, that would give the industry 680 billion dollars a year. International aid can also help by training people to use machinery and animals.

A second problem is the food is not easily transported from the farm to the market. I would recommend the government invests in better roads in these areas. By spending money on new roads, the government would benefit because a well-fed population is more productive and healthier.

Nigeria used to be self-sufficient on food. It has favorable climates for growing year round, and the soil quality is medium allowing many plants to be grown. Through teamwork, farms everywhere can expand and become more efficient. With better machinery, it is possible to use more land. Help from the government will allow machinery to be purchased and roads to be maintained. Agriculture can thrive like it used to. You can spread your knowledge to bring back old traditions. Nigeria will come out of poverty and provide enough food to feed the growing population. 

Works Cited

• "Nigeria - Agriculture." Encyclopedia of the Nations. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Nigeria-AGRICULTURE.html
• "Poverty in Nigeria: Rich Country, Poor People." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  https://www.poverties.org/blog/poverty-in-nigeria
• Forum, Skoll World. "Agriculture Is The Future Of Nigeria." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 08 Aug. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/skollworldforum/2013/08/08/agriculture-is-the-future-of-nigeria/#39b4f05d6d96
• "What Is It like to Live in Nigeria?" Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  https://www.reference.com/geography/like-live-nigeria-82dc683620586119
• "Nigeria." Countries and Their Cultures. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Nigeria.html
• "Climate & Agriculture." Our Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://www.our-africa.org/nigeria/climate-agriculture
• "West Africa: Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics." Land Use, Land Cover, and Trends in Nigeria | West Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  https://eros.usgs.gov/westafrica/land-cover/land-use-land-cover-and-trends-nigeria
• "Nigeria Land Use, Soils, and Land Tenure - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System." Nigeria Land Use, Soils, and Land Tenure - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://www.photius.com/countries/nigeria/economy/nigeria_economy_land_use_soils_and~10013.html
• Agric, SENCE. "Farm Machinery Trending Now." Agriculture Nigeria. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://agriculturenigeria.com/farming-production/farm-machinery
• Arcgis.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=cab92ace06e4416fb8c04dde9e3669a6
• Household Population And Housing Characteristic. HOUSEHOLD POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS (n.d.): n. pag. Web.  http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR148/02Chapter02.pdf
• "Farm Size, Agricultural and Rural Development in Nigeria." Farm Size, Agricultural and Rural Development in Nigeria - ScienceDirect. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0309586X83900146
• Adedini, Sunday A., Clifford Odimegwu, Olusina Bamiwuye, Opeyemi Fadeyibi, and Nicole De Wet. "Barriers to Accessing Health Care in Nigeria: Implications for Child Survival."Global Health Action. Co-Action Publishing, 2014. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3957799/
• Donkeys, Roger, Blench, and In Nigeria:. Cooperation For Donkeys in Nigeria: History, Distribution and ProductivityDonkeys in Nigeria: History, Distribution and Productivity(n.d.): n. pag. Web.  http://www.atnesa.org/donkeys/donkeys-blench-productivity-NG.pdf
• Kolesnikov, Ivan. "GNP and GDP by Country - Nigeria Data Portal." Knoema. N.p., 26 May 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. http://nigeria.opendataforafrica.org/aewtuqe/gnp-and-gdp-by-country?location=Nigeria

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