By YVONE ISHOLA & PALANG KASMI
From time immemorial, agriculture has been the primary occupation in Nigeria. The country was agrarian in nature, with subsistence farming being the norm, leading to self-sufficiency in food supply. The production of food crops dominated, ensuring that staple foods like beans, yams, rice, sorghum, guinea corn, maize, sesame, cassava, millet and others were consistently available.
Endowed by nature with vast expanses of fertile land and well-distributed rainfall throughout the year, it was no surprise that agriculture became the main occupation of most of Nigeria’s population. Over time, agriculture played a major role in positioning Nigeria favourably in the world market. The North was renowned for groundnut production, the East for palm oil and the West for cocoa.
Our ancestors used crude farming implements to cultivate large farms as a means of livelihood, and staple foods were never in short supply. Cash crops were also used in barter systems across the Sahara, which was beneficial. Sadly, as time passed, our farmers gradually abandoned their farm implements, and Nigeria lost its place as an exporter of groundnuts and palm oil – replaced by Malaysia, to whom we gave palm kernel seedlings.
Records show that one way British colonial masters underdeveloped Nigeria was by de-emphasising the production of food crops and focusing on cash crops needed to fuel their factories. It appears this strategy was a calculated one, serving their selfish interests rather than Nigeria’s.
One major reason cited for British colonisation of Nigeria was to ensure a cheap but steady supply of raw materials for their industries. They diverted attention from local resources and potential, forcing Nigeria into the complex and exploitative world market, primarily supplying raw materials for European industries. Many economists argue that this was a strategy to feed Britain’s industrial revolution.
The Nigerian colonial economy depended heavily on three major export crops: cocoa, palm produce and groundnuts, which accounted for about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s total exports during colonial times. Palm produce exports from Nigeria were 66,000 tonnes in 1901, rising to 272,000 tonnes in 1921 and 497,000 tonnes by 1951. Palm oil alone fetched £981,330 for 110,243 tonnes in 1938. That same year, 180,136 tonnes of groundnuts were exported, valued at £1,305,828, alongside 97,000 tonnes of cocoa at the same value in 1945.
In the 1960s, Nigeria’s leadership position in the world market was unquestionable. However, by 2008, Nigeria’s groundnut exports had declined to zero from 42 per cent. Similarly, Nigeria lost its status as one of the leading exporters of palm oil to Indonesia and Malaysia – countries that initially obtained their palm kernel seedlings from Nigeria.
Today, Malaysia earns $18 billion from palm oil. If Nigeria had not shifted its attention to the black gold (oil), records indicate that the country could have been earning at least £10 billion from the continued production of cocoa, cotton, palm oil and groundnuts.
Post-independence, it became clear that the damage done to food crop production by colonial agricultural policies was significant. The food security challenges Nigeria faces today are a direct consequence of the British colonial masters’ self-centred policies.
Over the years, successive Nigerian administrations have attempted to revive the agricultural sector, but the lack of continuity has been a persistent problem. Between 1976 and October 1979, the Obasanjo administration introduced ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ a policy aimed at mobilising the public to participate in agricultural production. Other policies followed, including the establishment of River Basin Development Authorities, the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme, the Rural Banking Scheme, and the Land Use Act.
In 1980, President Shehu Shagari introduced the Green Revolution Programme. Military Head of Government, General Buhari, increased the number of River Basin Authorities from 11 to 18 in 1984. Later, General Babangida established the Directorate for Foods, Roads, and Rural Infrastructure, along with several other policies between 1986 and 1991.
Nigeria has 34 million hectares of arable land, with 6.5 million hectares for permanent crops and 28.6 million hectares for meadows and pastures. However, agriculture accounts for about 23 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP. Sadly, the sector grew by only 1.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2022, hindered by low productivity, inaccessible or expensive inputs, and increasing post-harvest losses due to poor logistics and insecurity across the country.
Despite efforts by past and present governments, both at the federal and state levels, Nigeria has yet to revolutionise agriculture in such a way that food and cash crops become major export earners, akin to oil. However, all hope is not lost. Several states are leading the way with investments in agriculture. Lagos State, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, holds the crown as the wealthiest state by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and thrives as the hub of finance, commerce, and industry, home to Nigeria’s busiest seaports and airports.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), between January and March 2021, agriculture contributed 22.35 per cent to Nigeria’s total GDP.
The case of Plateau State
In Plateau State, efforts are underway to revitalise the agricultural sector. Agriculture remains the mainstay of Plateau’s economy, accounting for a significant proportion of the state’s GDP and engaging about 75 per cent of the population. However, farming in Plateau is predominantly smallholder, traditional, and rain-fed, with systems varying across agro-ecological zones.
To boost agriculture, the Plateau State government allocated N12 billion from the 2024 budget to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This funding is aimed at supporting farming inputs, equipment procurement and capital expenditure for the Plateau Agricultural Development Project (PADP), Plateau Agricultural Mechanisation Service Company, and the state College of Agriculture.
Another strategic move by the Plateau State government, since assuming office 29 May 29, 2023, is an extensive farming intervention targeting conflict-affected areas. Facilitated through the Agricultural Service and Training Centre and Marketing Limited (ASTC), the initiative seeks to cultivate 6,000 hectares of farmland across the state’s three senatorial districts. This mechanised farming initiative, launched in June 2024, focuses on food security and resettling displaced communities affected by conflicts, using agro-rangers and local self-help groups for early warning systems.
Furthermore, the state has implemented a monitoring system, including drones, to safeguard investments and prevent incursions into farmlands. This project aims to reduce food prices and increase food production, focusing on maize, potatoes and rice, depending on the zone.
Among other strategies, the Plateau State government has trained 340 youth in smart commercial agriculture at CSS Farms on the Abuja-Keffi road. This programme equips them with agribusiness skills to drive the future of agricultural development in the state.
The state has also aligned itself with the National Potato Strategy, launched in Jos in September 2024, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and GIZ. The strategy aims to enhance potato production, improve food security, and foster innovation in the agricultural sector.
Plateau State is described by agricultural experts as a gold mine and is expected to lead the country in exporting potatoes, maize, rice, millet, and a range of exotic fruits and vegetables like strawberries, apples, grapes, cauliflower, and beetroot, all of which grow seamlessly in the state’s rich soils.
No doubt, the state on track towards making agriculture a profit-making business venture. Experts believe that the Federal Government could learn a lesson or two from the state.