By Chris Echikwu
As we celebrate World Food Day today, it is fitting that Nigeria rethinks its strategies for revamping agriculture.
There is no gainsaying the fact that despite decades-long significant government investment in promoting commercial farming in the country, the results have been largely sub-optimal, failing to significantly improve her food security, rural employment, or economic growth. A shift towards supporting smallholder farming—the backbone of Nigeria’s agriculture—may present a more sustainable and inclusive path to agricultural development.
Key Arguments for Supporting Smallholder Farming:
- Widespread Impact: Nigeria has over 33 million smallholder farmers, making up the majority of the agricultural workforce. Supporting them directly impacts rural livelihoods and boosts food security.
- Increased Productivity Potential: With access to improved inputs, training, and finance, smallholder farmers can double or triple yields. Countries like Kenya, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India, to mention a few examples from developing countries, have demonstrated the effectiveness of empowering smallholders in driving agricultural growth.
- Sustainability and Inclusivity: Smallholder farming is more environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive, benefiting rural communities, women, and youth.
- Sub-optimal Commercial Farming Investments:
Between 2016 and 2021, Nigeria invested well over ₦200 billion through initiatives such as the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), and other commercial farming projects.
The ₦13 billion on commercial rice farming and ₦10 billion on cassava farming have resulted in marginal gains, with projects plagued by inefficiencies and lack of access to rural infrastructure. - Better Return on Investment: Studies show that investing in smallholder farming can yield better outcomes per Naira spent compared to large-scale commercial farms, especially in job creation, food security, and poverty alleviation.
Conclusion:
Reinvigorating farm extension services, imposing better coordination and supervision of farming practices in the rural areas as well as redirecting a portion of government spending directly towards smallholder farmers—through subsidies for seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and training—can deliver better outcomes, including higher food production, economic empowerment, and long-term sustainability.
Chris Echikwu is a retired General Manager of Nigeria Commodity Exchange