Author: Adewale Kupoluyi

Across Nigeria, educators, agribusinesses, and government agencies are asking the same question: How do we make farming interesting to a generation raised on phones, games, and fast food? The answer, they say, is to stop teaching agriculture like punishment and start selling it like an opportunity. With the average Nigerian farmer now over 50, getting kids interested is no longer optional. It is a food security strategy. In some states, schools are partnering with agri-tech firms to set up hydroponics kits, aquaponics tanks, and smart greenhouses. Students use sensors and apps to monitor soil acidity and alkalinity, temperature, and growth. It…

A farmer in China claims to have lost 25 acres of crops overnight after following pesticide advice from an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant. The 67-year-old from Chuzhou in Anhui province had been using artificial intelligence software for a year prior to the incident. According to local report, he has been using it to ask for advice on everything from scheduling to fertilising. Initial success led to him trusting the AI and blindly following its instructions without confirming the information with other sources. After asking about the best course of treatment for controlling weeds and pests on sesame crops, the AI suggested a…

The Federal Government has identified five states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the pilot implementation of its National Ranching Policy. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed this after briefing President Bola Tinubu on the ministry’s activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Maiha said the pilot programme would commence at the Wase Grazing Reserve in Plateau State, as a proof of concept for the new ranching model. He identified the six states altogether as Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa, alongside the FCT. According to the minister, the areas were selected because they have recorded some of the highest incidences of…

A 33-year-old poultry farmer, Oreoluwa Osonuga, has been abducted by armed men at the Ikenne Farm Settlement in Ogun State. Osonuga’s abduction was made known in a statement released by the Chairman of the farm settlement, Seye Kehinde According to Kehinde, the kidnappers briefly reached out to the victim’s family, demanding N500 million for his release. Part of the statement read, “The farm settlement in Ikenne witnessed an ugly situation as one of our members was kidnapped. He is Mr. Oreoluwa Osonuga, Male and about 33 years of age. “He is a poultry farmer and was on his way out of the farm when…

The Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has suspended onion exports and called for an urgent roundtable involving the Federal Government, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and all countries importing Nigerian onions. NOPPMAN says the idea is to negotiate and sign a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to protect cross-border trade. The association stressed that the proposed agreement must go beyond the current dispute with Ghana, but cover all countries that import Nigerian onions, insisting that a permanent regional framework was needed to prevent recurring disruptions to the trade. The President of NOPPMAN, Alhaji Isa Aliyu, made the…

President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria is targeting more than doubling the livestock sector’s estimated US$32billion annual contribution to the national economy, as part of efforts to make the country a leading hub for livestock production and processing in Africa. Tinubu stated this in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture, themed, “Repositioning Animal Agriculture for Africa’s Agricultural Food Security and Global Competitiveness”. The President, represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the Federal Government is committed to transforming livestock production from a…

The Federal Government has announced plans to deepen scientific and technological collaboration with China to reduce post-harvest losses, promote agro-processing, and boost Nigeria’s agricultural exports. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, (FMIST) Dr. Mukhtar Muhammed disclosed this in Abuja at the Seasonal Life and Harmonious China Cultural Exhibition, held at the China Cultural Centre. Muhammed said the collaboration would focus on practical areas, including the development of affordable solar-powered cold storage facilities, technology transfer for agro-processing, and expanded scientific exchanges between Nigeria and Chinese institutions. He said Nigeria must leverage the recent expansion of access to the Chinese market to…

Ghana’s parliament has passed a bill that could send cocoa farmers to prison for up to 20 years, if they convert their farms to other uses without government’s approval. According to a copy of the bill seen by The Associated Press, the new measure was passed, but the President, John Mahama, has not yet signed the law. The legislation would give all cocoa farms protected status, making it a criminal offence to repurpose them for anything else without authorisation, drawing criticism from farmers. “If the law stands as it is now, it’s not fair,” said the Administrator of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers…

The Federal Government has commenced the training of 4,000 tractor operators under its national agricultural mechanisation project, as part of efforts to strengthen food security and build the skilled workforce required to drive large-scale modern farming across the country. The development was disclosed in a statement issued by AGCOMS International Trading Limited, which said the nationwide training programme is being coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), in partnership with AGCOMS International Trading Limited and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). “The Federal Government has commenced the training programme for…

Applications are now open for the GrowthGia Agro Business Grant 2026, a funding initiative designed to support operational farmers in Nigeria, who are building sustainable and growth-oriented agricultural businesses. This edition of the grant is exclusively focused on the agricultural sector, providing financial support to farmers committed to expanding their operations, improving productivity, and contributing to Nigeria’s food security and economic development. Through this initiative, GrowthGia aims to strengthen the country’s agricultural ecosystem by empowering entrepreneurs with the resources needed to scale their farming businesses. Applicants must be operational farmers, based in Nigeria. They are to own existing and active farming businesses, and active…