Driving Nigeria’s Agricultural Productivity through policies, programmes and projects since 1960

At the advent of Nigerian independence in 1960, Agriculture was the mainstay of the nation’s economy. It indeed contributed over 70 percent of Nigeria’s gross national product.

Agriculture continued to experience growth based on innovations, technology, and adequate funding.

It is also a key driver of business activities, contributing to about 19.63% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, in 2023, agriculture accounted for over 35 percent of total employment drive to the Nigerian economy.

Blessed with approximately 70.8 million hectares of arable land for the cultivation of maize, cassava, guinea corn, groundnut, millet, beans, rice, and yam as the major staple crops over 70% of households in Nigeria engage in farming.  Livestock production also occupies a central position in the Nigeria’s agriculture sector with cattle rearing and poultry being the major animals in the sector.

The important role of the agricultural sector in contributing to Nigeria’s economy is reflected in various agricultural policies, which birthed reforms under the past military regimes and democratic governments. This was done through the formulation of policies, implementation of programmes, and execution of projects geared towards increased agricultural production.

The National Accelerated Food Production Programme, NAFPP, was introduced in 1973 to encourage farmers to increase the production of food by applying modern agricultural practices.

By 1976, NAFPP was replaced with Operation Feed the Nation, OFN, and General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military administration steered Nigeria away from excessive dependence on crude oil.  The OFN encouraged Nigerians to produce, individually or in groups, the food they consume and was administered by a national council at the Federal, committees at the State and Local Government levels.

Under 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 agrochemicals.

Generally, OFN increased the number of farmers and raised people’s awareness of the key role agriculture could play in meeting food production targets and economic development in Nigeria.

Between 1976 and 1980, Nigeria also launched the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Schemes, established agricultural commodity marketing and pricing boards, and enacted the Land Use Act.

The 1988, National Agricultural Policy document operated for about fifteen years aimed at improving agricultural production and creating export markets. This was further reviewed with a new Agricultural Policy document of 2001 that led to food self-sufficiency and security in Nigeria.

The 2011 Nigerian Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme, designed to revitalize the agricultural sector, with a clear focus on achieving a hunger-free Nigeria through a phased programme 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.

The Muhammadu Buhari administration formulated the Agricultural Promotion Policy, APP of 2016–2020 (Green Alternative) as the national agricultural policy framework to drive the growth and development of agriculture in Nigeria.

Building on the successes of the transformation agenda programme, the new policy focuses on the farmers’ abilities to access loans and upscale production skills, and increase acreages towards producing enough foods with special investments in rice production through the anchor borrowers and other agriculture guarantee schemes by the Central bank of Nigeria CBN that improved food security in Nigeria.

To further revolutionize Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the administration embarked on the implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP). The NAGS-AP is designed to stimulate increased productivity and higher yields among farmers, ensuring a significant impact on food production and agricultural growth across the country.

It is expected that these policies, innovations, and interventions in the agriculture value chain embarked upon will make Nigeria realize the nation’s potential in agriculture. This will make agriculture continue to remain a major contributor to the GDP and lead Nigeria to the path of food security, self-sufficiency and exports of the agriculture produce to Africa and the world.