Agriculture in Nigeria has been in a terrible state for so many years as the government does not pay much attention to the sector's advantage.
There were times when agriculture was the bedrock of this country's economy as we are known to be one of the sole producers of cocoa and many crops, but since the discovery of crude oil, we have neglected this sector.
However, the minister for agriculture, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, suggested that the government should pay more attention to this sector and stop putting the country's whole economy on crude oil. This is a very excellent suggestion, but the real question here is, what are we to do?
There are so many advantages the country can get by investing correctly in the agricultural sector, including the following.
Increase the availability of foods – this country's most significant problem is food scarcity because most of what we consume is imported when we can grow them here. Investing in agriculture will help in providing sufficient food.
Provision of jobs – the agricultural sector is a sector that is capable of employing more people compared to so many other sectors we are crowding in Nigeria. Investing in this sector will help reduce Nigeria's unemployment rate.
Foster foreign trade – Nigeria was once the sole producer of cocoa, and so many countries will buy from Nigeria to their country. This can be restored if the development of agriculture in Nigeria is considered.
Agriculture in Nigeria is faced with many problems that the government needs to address if the government wants to resuscitate the sector. Factors affecting farmers in Nigeria, which is the problem, include the following.
Lack of Funds – this is one of the significant problems of agriculture in Nigeria. Investing in large-scale agriculture needs a lot of funds, which seems so much for the enthusiastic farmer in the sector. Providing a funding scheme for the farmers will go a long way in helping this sector.
Illiteracy – farming or any form of agriculture is not just about planting but also about knowledge. Most Nigerian farmers lack the knowledge to maximize the sector's profit. It is the role of the government to provide adequate knowledge.
Unavailability of modern equipment – going into large-scale farming will need more than just the traditional tools used by Nigerian farmers. Nigeria's government can help by providing the necessary modern equipment to ease their stress.
Rural areas make up the majority of Nigerian farmers, and most continue cultivating their land with rudimentary tools. This suggests that there is little labor substitution, increasing the intensiveness of farming and unintentionally lowering farmer productivity.
Because modern farming equipment is costly to buy or rent, most rural farmers lack access. The majority of them depend on their small farming equipment to save money for themselves.
Unavailability of storage facilities – some of the needed agricultural produce is perishable goods. Lack of storage facility while producing this product will result in a waste of effort. The government can help by providing necessary storage facilities to help preserve the quality of perishable goods.
Lack of infrastructure – some of the necessary infrastructure needed by farmers is a good road, stable electricity, and market availability. These are all that the government can provide to boost the agricultural sectors.
Unimplemented government policies - All of the nation's agricultural issues stem from this. The government's initiatives have significantly developed the nation's agriculture industry.
The government is in charge of developing plans to expand agriculture in the nation.
The government has made several excellent policies over the past four years to increase agricultural productivity in the nation. However, their implementation has been subpar, making the administration's efforts to advance the sector ineffective.
For instance, the vast majority of farmers in Nigeria who grow most of the food crops consumed there still cultivate their land with simple equipment.
The following are necessary steps the government should respond to as a way forward in innovating agriculture in Nigeria.
Provide necessary knowledge to farmers by organizing seminars and training overseas by an expert in the field.
Provision of a fund by establishing a different scheme to help different forms of agriculture.
Building necessary infrastructures such as good roads, readymade markets, stable electricity, and many others.
Provision of storage facilities capable of preserving perishable produce.
Provision of modern equipment such as tractors, ploughs, and many others to make work faster and perfect.
The importance of farmers cannot be overemphasized. They are one of the pillars holding the country's economy with their hard work. They produce most of the foods consumed, most of the exported goods, and many others.
The following are the necessary steps on how to start farming in Nigeria
Decide the types of crops you want to plant
Acquire the necessary knowledge
Purchase a land
Purchase necessary equipment.
Hire human resources where necessary.
