After years of Agricultural decline, the effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria have pushed the Nigerian economy into a hemorrhage. Before realizing our blessings of crude oil, agriculture used to rule not just the land but our economy. Although Nigeria seemed always destined for wealth, crude oil discovery changed the dynamics, and overnight, Nigeria was projected from a humble African Nation to a wealthy oil-producing country then the menace began. The export of crude came with the import of everything else, over time we were out of balance.

Agriculture was the most impacted since the oil boom. The government entirely abandoned agriculture almost at all levels. Since the return of democracy in 1999, it is hard to see any government-run farms in Nigeria whereas, during the regional eras, the regional economy was mainly built on agriculture. The Northern region was a chief producer of groundnut, the west was synonymous with cocoa while the east majored in palm produce. The effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria today manifest in untold hunger and poverty.

The effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria today manifest in the following areas

• Hunger: Everywhere else in Nigeria, there is intense hunger. The cost of food has risen to an unbearable level. This couldn’t have been the case had we paid attention to agriculture. Nigerians are even trying to continue to farm despite the challenges. If the government could make additional efforts by setting up farms across the country, it would be easier to combat hunger.

Clashes between farmers and herders are another avenue fueling farming abandonment. This too can be fixed if the government gets proactive about ending the frequent clashes between farmers and nomads.

• Single Forex Earner: Agriculture once was Nigeria’s biggest export. Today Nigeria is struggling to produce enough food for the population. With the neglect of agriculture, pressure has been on the crude return. A country of over 200 million with crude oil as a major Forex earner is bound to struggle.

The major challenge with crude export was that the refined petroleum products were being imported back into the country as our refineries were not working. This almost wiped off the crude export revenue through the now-defunct subsidy regime. Perhaps the return from crude oil export was heavily invested in agriculture, Nigeria could have long reached food sufficiency and even become a major exporter.

• Less Revenue for State Governments: The current effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria can be attributed to the government. In other countries, the government engages in agriculture but in Nigeria where all lands belong to the state government by law, we hardly find any state government engaging in agriculture. Nigeria has fertile lands in all the zones.

Most states rely on monthly allocations from the federal government. In most cases, these allocations are not enough especially for the non-oil-producing states. These states could have improved their revenue by engaging in mechanized agriculture. It is heartbreaking that states with good land for agriculture still stay poor while their people are hungry. Nearly all Nigerian states have neglected agriculture.

• Increased Mass Poverty: One of the major effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria is an increasing number of people living in poverty. People need food to survive and when food becomes unavailable and even more costly, money meant for other things will be used for feeding. This fuels poverty as people will mostly live to eat thereby leading to the neglect of other aspects of life and the economy.

Neglect of agriculture has created mass poverty. Agriculture itself is a very viable venture as such when the government doesn’t inspire the people to farm, mass poverty looms. The government’s abandonment of agriculture made it unattractive to Nigerians. This trend is even becoming more visible in the younger generation that now sees farming as a dirty venture.

• High unemployment rate: Agriculture maintains its status as one of Nigeria’s highest employers. Even as agriculture provides a huge number of self-employment, much more employment can be created through agriculture. Nigeria currently has one of the highest unemployment rate in the continent, a lot more individuals can secure employment should our government get into agriculture.

Even though agriculture is lucrative, the government doesn’t necessarily have to get into it for profit maximization but to provide food and employment for the population. With more government encouragement and engagement in agriculture, more individuals will be employed.

How to revert the effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria

• Make Agriculture More Attractive to Young People: A country’s youth is important in driving any initiative. Nigerian youth currently spend a lot of time on the internet. The government can use social media to inspire youths to showcase their agricultural prowess. This could be in the form of creating social media content using farms set up by such young individuals.

If the government can inspire youth to find the beauty in agriculture, more young people will find farming attractive. Apart from the government encouragement, young Nigerians need to encourage agriculture using the power of the internet, creating YouTube videos about the progress of your farm could be an amazing hobby.

• Individuals and government investment in agriculture: The government at all levels in Nigeria needs to start aggressively investing in agriculture, this will encourage citizens to get more passionate about farming. When this happens and everyone gets involved, it will be easier to revert the current manifestation of the effects of the neglect of agriculture in Nigeria

Conclusion

Nigeria has great potential in agriculture. When we take it more seriously we will have enough to eat and export. The current impact of the agricultural abandonment can be fixed but first, the people and the government need to do more in agriculture.

You May also want to read: Most Underrated Businesses in Nigeria; Yet Profitable.