What is the problem of agriculture in Nigeria?
Question
What is the problem of Agriculture in Nigeria? There are countries with smaller land mass than Nigeria but they are profiting huge with Agriculture. What is really the problem and do you think there is a solution?
Answers ( 6 )
The the problem of agriculture in Nigeria is quite numerous. it all boils down to lack of basic amenities that are required for agricultural purposes.
Lack of Electricity need for processing farm produce
Lack of good road needed for transportation of farm produce
Lack of governmental policies.
These are just some of them, There are a whole lot more.
The problem of agricultural down fall in Nigeria, is as result of some lack of major basic social amenities like:
1.Electricity
2. Good road networks
3. Lack of Security
4. Lack of technical know how etc.
There is this myopic way of reasoning in Nigeria, saying that ” Agricultural practices is meant to be for the poor and also not usually for the youth or younger once amongst the teaming population “.
There is a solution to this problem, that is when the Government of Nigeria do the needful and also enact some good policies that would be Agriculture friendly, this would go a long way in attracting the younger once whom the strength and enthusiasm lies.
The problems of Agriculture in Nigeria has hampered the growth of the agricultural sector for a very long time. From research we learned that with the enormous mass of arable land available in Nigeria. However, agriculture contribute merely 23% of Nigeria’s GDP. If some of the challenges facing the Agricultural sector in Nigeria is well handled, Nigeria could possibly feed the world.
Below are some of the problem facing Agricultural Practices in Nigeria.
1 ) Lack of necessary Governmental Policies.
2) Lack of Education: Farmers needs to be informed about current trends in agricultural sector
3) Lack of Basic amenities: Electricity, Good road network, fertilizers etc.
4) Poverty: Most of the farmers are poor and can hardly save enough to go into large scale farming.
5) Predator : They eat up growing crop in farms that are now well fenced or protected.
6) Natural causes : Flooding, lack of rainfall, Desertification etc.
These are some of the major problems of Agriculture in Nigeria.
Agriculture in Nigeria is faced with lots of challenges like social amenities, lack of adequate knowledge, finance, lack of interest in Agriculture. Here in Nigeria almost 80% of the citizen are looking for a white caller job.
We have this tendency to look down on farmers.
Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating the soil,growing crops and raising livestock but it is not viewed as an art or a science in Nigeria instead it is perceived as a business for poor, tired old folks.
Unfortunately, most people in our society believe that agriculture should be reserved for the old and the uneducated, sadly, these, peasant farmers are not always willing to be adapted to mechanized agriculture.
The average Nigerian wants to be a doctor, an engineer, a pilot, anything but a farmer, as that would, in their opinion denote that you have failed in life and would be poor.
So for me, the problem of agriculture in Nigeria is first a thing of perception… mindset that it is for the uneducated.