Nigeria has the potential not only to meet its growing food needs but also to become an agro-powerhouse for the sub-region and the world at large. Nigeria is blessed with over 140 million people, 70 per cent of whom engaged in (peasant or commercial) farming.

Nigeria has about 79 million hectares of arable land (less than half of which is under cultivation); and is blessed with highly diversified ecological conditions suitable for the production of a wide range of agricultural products.  Nigeria has 267 billion cubic meters of surface water; 57.9 billion cubic meters of underground water; an annual rainfall range of 300mm to 400mm; and potential irrigable area of 3.14 million hectares (seven per cent of which is utilised). yet we can’t feed ourselves. Why? (pls send your answers and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or text 08061697604)

 Over the past 30 years, the world’s population has grown by more than 50 per cent to over 6 billion, and is expected to increase by the same proportion again by 2050. Yet the world’s food supplies are failing to keep up. Many of the farms in developing countries produce small yields, and need help and more modern farming equipment to help them produce larger amounts of produce. And  there is still plenty of unused land around the world, suitable for agricultural expansion.

Nigeria is a nation endowed and blessed with natural resources, the resources ranging from arable lands for crop cultivation, varieties of live stocks, fresh waters across the nation suitable for aquaculture and irrigation. These are the kinds of natural endowments that God has blessed Nigeria with and most countries in the world envy.

 Investment in agriculture can bring about:
1.    Food security – Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. And food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food(FAO). Investment in agriculture can bring about food security and income generation and subsequently result in attaining food security in Nigeria

2.    Poverty and hunger reduction- In general, countries that succeeded in reducing hunger were characterised by more rapid economic growth and specifically more growth in their agricultural sectors. Studies show that growth and development in the agricultural sector can reduce poverty and hunger to a great extent, hence a direct relationship exists between food consumption levels and poverty. For example, the only countries that reduced hunger during the 1990s were those which registered agricultural growth. A look at FAO’s statistics over the last 30 years reveals countries that continued to invest in agriculture— both governmental and nongovernmental—now experience the lowest levels of undernourishment and poverty.

Who can invest in agriculture in Nigeria? Every Nigerian!. Every Nigerian home and abroad who desires to make money this year should and must put some money aside to invest in agriculture whether on a micro, small, medium or large scale.

Areas of investment are: food crop production- cassava. yam. cocoyam, sweet potatoes,etc

Horticulture: vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers, dry season vegetable production, etc

Plantation Agriculture: Teak, oil palm, cocoa, moringa, jatropha, pineapple, cashew, groundnut, etc

Animals: grass cutter, goat, cow, sheep, snails,etc

livestock: poultry, hatchery business, selling of 6weeks old birds, quails, turkeys, guinea fowl, etc

Agro-allied/euipment  - inputs, agricultural equipment -tractor, sprinklers, fertiliser, chemicals,etc.

 I strongly believe that investment in agriculture is the most important Millenium Development Goal in eradicating extreme hunger and poverty.  The only shock you’ll get this year if you invest in agriculture is that you’ll succeed much faster than you think.