What is the Current Standing of Nigeria in Agriculture?

Prof Paul A. Iji

?It is very easy to dismiss Nigeria’s agricultural potential if one is young and/or simply drives across the country. There is not much to see. Nigeria’s land use efficiency is low, and this is something that Peter Obi talks about. Although he is not an agricultural expert, he can see the potential of the sector. I have written about land use inefficiency in Nigeria and many other developing countries in the past but it would be good to revisit the subject as we subject Peter Obi’s plans to scrutiny.

I was honoured to present Nigeria’s agricultural potential to the business community at an international forum recently and in spite of all that we have lost in the sector, Nigeria is still leading the world in a few areas of agriculture. For example, Nigeria is still the leading producer of yams and cassava. We are number 2 in sorghum, and number 3 in peanuts (groundnuts) and ginger. Nigeria ranks number 4 in palm oil, sesame (beniseed) and cocoa. We are not at the top but close to the top in maize and rice (number 14 in both crops).

If an individual performed like this among his/her peers, it would be tempting to ask: what else do you want? In Nigerian pidgin lingo, we would ask: Wetin be your own or Na only you? But one needs to examine the trend in production from say 1960 to date, to realise that we are not producing at our optimum, and far from the peak. We are nowhere near our potential, talk less of the peak. We can do better. Simply put, our best is not good enough.

Although we are ranked so high in some areas of agriculture, our volume of production is way below our potential. Simply put, we can do more than that, and I don’t mean occupying number one in all crops. Even when we occupy number one, we need to boast of a higher tonnage. For example, are 59 million tonnes of cassava all that Nigeria can produce? Why have we dropped from number one in palm oil, groundnuts and beniseed? Why are we not at the top in cotton and rubber now, when we were there in the 1960s and 1970s? These are questions we need to ask ourselves. Questions that a leader needs to ask and proffer solutions to, so that agriculture can become our major income earner again, not as a subsidiary to petroleum but as the primary earner.

?Nigeria has the 7th largest piece of arable (agricultural) land in the whole world. This is information that most people are not aware of – we have 34 million hectares of arable land. While this is only one-fifth of the arable land mass of the USA, we must remember that the USA is as large as the whole of West Africa! Nigeria has more arable land than Ukraine, Argentina or Australia, all very massive lands but full of deserts or marshland. This is the land that we are wasting.

?What is missing? I have already partly answered this question. We are not using land efficiently. We have millions of our countrymen and women, dissipating enormous energy on tiny plots of land; using bare hands; planting poor material; applying outdated agronomic practices; not covering half of the value chain, and not marketing at world rates. The result of all these deficiencies is poor crop and animal yield, and poor economic returns.

?

Can Nigeria change these practices and function at world standards? Yes. We have tens of thousands of unemployed agricultural graduates, some of whom are now into crime due to lack of professional opportunities. Let’s be realistic; no one wants to be a kidnapper or an armed robber. These are dangerous jobs and there is not much value in extorting millions of Naira when one can only use it in the bush or on the run.

?We can channel the energy of our agricultural graduates into positive use. Modern agriculture is mechanized, smart and precise. It is suited to the lifestyle of our modern youth. Let’s turn their energy into economic value. Agricultural graduates love their profession. They would be happy to support Nigeria’s growth with their expertise. We have youths in several other sectors and Obi and Datti appear to know these and/or show intention to give them the wings.

?In the coming weeks, I will take on the different products and touch on their value chain and economic value.

?Prof Paul A. Iji is the Dean, College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Fiji National University; Author of Writing and publishing your research (hard and Kindle editions) and A guide for young Africans growing up overseas. CreateSpace/Amazon. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the views of his employers.?Please feel free to share.