{"id":294680,"date":"2022-11-22T08:39:51","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T07:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nigerianfinder.com\/?p=294680"},"modified":"2022-11-29T20:34:42","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T19:34:42","slug":"agricultural-sector-growth-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigerianfinder.com\/agricultural-sector-growth-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"Agricultural Sector Growth in Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nigeria is Africa\u2019s most populous nation (and also one of the largest). With so many people living there, it should not surprise you to learn that Nigeria has a thriving agricultural sector. In fact, over the last few years, Nigeria\u2019s agricultural sector has grown significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those experienced in farming and agriculture say that the only way for Nigeria\u2019s agricultural sector to continue to develop is for the nation\u2019s youth to develop a genuine interest in farming, providing more manpower and innovation to the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

This post will cover this topic in more detail, explaining everything you need to know about agricultural sector growth in Nigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Main Produce<\/span><\/h2>\n

In Nigeria, the produce that\u2019s farmed for domestic and international sale is diverse. It ranges from <\/span>animal feed<\/span><\/a> to crops for human consumption. The <\/span>main <\/span><\/i>crops farmed there (as in those farmed in the largest quantities, all for domestic sale) are maize, sorghum, cassava, rice, millet, and yam. It should therefore come as no surprise to you to learn that they are all staples of the traditional Nigerian diet. There is a large amount of livestock farming that takes place in Nigeria too, again, mostly for domestic use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Domestic Farmers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Something that\u2019s overlooked by a lot of people when studying farming and agriculture in Nigeria is that a staggeringly large percentage of the population farms their own produce, usually in their backyards. Up to 70% of Nigerian households practice crop farming. The most common household crops farmed are maize, cassava, sorghum, and yam. It is also very common for Nigerian households to raise livestock, too. Some households also practice fishing, although this is not as popular as it once was, mainly due to water pollution which is a big problem in Nigeria at this time. There is an ongoing scandal involving Shell, an oil supplier, and massive pollution in the Niger Delta.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sector Growth<\/span><\/h2>\n

The agricultural industry is vital to Nigeria\u2019s financial survival. In other words, the nation relies on domestic farming. According to Nigeria\u2019s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, in the first half of 2022, the agriculture sector contributed 23% to the nation\u2019s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Also in the second quarter of 2022, Nigeria\u2019s agriculture sector grew by 1.2%. Unfortunately, however, this was down from 2021\u2019s growth of 1.3%. Research by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) suggests that the reason <\/span>Nigeria\u2019s agriculture sector<\/span><\/a> did not exceed 2021\u2019s second-quarter gains was because of rising fertilizer costs and recent flooding. They also suggested that these two things could continue to negatively impact Nigeria\u2019s agricultural production. All across the world at the moment, food prices are up. In Nigeria, this is also the case. If flooding does not cease and fertilizer prices do not fall, they will continue to rise, making food unaffordable for many of Nigeria\u2019s inhabitants. However, because domestic farming <\/span>is <\/span><\/i>very prevalent, it will not impact the majority of Nigerians as harshly as it will impact others in West Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Agricultural Products<\/span><\/h2>\n

Going back to agricultural products from Nigeria, it should be noted that the plants mentioned in the section titled \u2018Main produce\u2019 are not the only plants produced and sold in Nigeria. Nigeria is in fact <\/span>the world\u2019s largest producer of cassava<\/span><\/a>. Up to 20% of the world\u2019s cassava is Nigerian in origin. Nigeria is also responsible for the massive production of sesame, cashew nuts, cocoa beans, groundnuts, gum Arabic, kola nut, cocoa, melon, palm kernels, palm oil, plantains, rubber, soybeans, and bananas. The international trade in cashew nuts and sesame seeds has proven to be highly lucrative for Nigerian farmers. Ginger is also a very popular plant farmed in Nigeria and sold internationally.<\/span><\/p>\n


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Crop Division<\/span><\/h2>\n

In Nigeria, agricultural products can be divided into two distinct categories: edible crops sold for domestic use, and edible and non-edible crops exported. Much of Nigeria\u2019s food supply is farmed domestically. In other words, most Nigerians eat Nigerian-grown food. However, some food is still imported from other countries, like bread for example. Before\u00a0 Nigeria\u2019s civil war, the country was entirely self-sufficient and did not rely on any other nations for their produce. It appears that the nation is trying to work back towards that, so they can reduce their reliance on international food suppliers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fertilizer Supplies<\/span><\/h2>\n

As mentioned previously, fertilizer prices are up at the moment. This is primarily due to the conflict that\u2019s taking place in Ukraine, <\/span>which is shaking the global fertilizer market<\/span><\/a>. It should also be noted that rising oil prices are also making it very difficult for Nigerian farmers to farm using heavy machinery. Analysts are predicting that, at this time, fertilizer prices will continue to rise. In the future, they should fall or at least stabilize though, but until then, the agriculture sector in Nigeria will be on shaky ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Encouraging Agriculture<\/span><\/h2>\n

In this post\u2019s introduction reference was made to the fact that in order for Nigeria\u2019s agricultural sector to thrive, young people need to express an interest in it. In many respects, the same is true in all of the world\u2019s countries. However, many Nigerian youths from rural areas are leaving their villages and family farms to go and live in large cities or move to Europe or the Americas. The exodus of rural youth is making it very difficult for family-run farms to sustain themselves. If there are no farmers, there can naturally be no crop production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Future Growth<\/span><\/h2>\n

Despite rising fertilizer costs, analysts predict that Nigeria\u2019s agricultural sector will continue to grow. While growth might not be as much as it has been in previous years, it will continue. It should be noted that it is also predicted that many Nigerians will begin farming at home if they are not already. By farming at home they will be able to grow their own food and avoid the rising food prices, which are becoming unaffordable in many of the world\u2019s most developed nations, so will no doubt hit average Nigerian citizens extremely hard, putting them at risk of starvation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nigeria\u2019s economy is growing. Things are hard at the moment due to fertilizer costs and flooding, but the agricultural sector is showing positive signs nonetheless. Many Nigerians grow crops at home. Those that don\u2019t most certainly will in the coming years.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nigeria is Africa\u2019s most populous nation (and also one of the largest). With so many people living there, it should … <\/p>\n

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