Author: Adewale Kupoluyi
The Federal Government has signed an agreement to provide electricity to special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across the country, as it seeks to boost agricultural productivity and rural industrialisation. The agreement, signed in Abuja between the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and the SAPZ programme, covers joint assessment, technical assistance and energy deployment across the processing zones under the agency’s Desert to Power initiative. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said access to reliable and affordable electricity is critical to the success of the SAPZ programme and has the potential to transform Nigeria’s agricultural value chain. Shettima, who was represented by…
Nigeria has the land, the climate, and the people to feed itself and export, but farming here still feels like an uphill fight. From where I stand, the problems are less about Nigerians, not wanting to farm and more about the environment around farming, making it too risky and too expensive. Insecurity and land access are two major factors affecting agricultural practices in the country. In many food-belt states, farmers can’t even access their farms consistently because of banditry, herder-farmer clashes, and kidnapping. When your biggest risk is losing your life or your harvest to raiders, long-term investment like irrigation…
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has urged African countries to invest more in science, research and innovation, saying the continent must move beyond consuming agricultural technologies developed elsewhere and become a global centre of agricultural knowledge and scientific excellence. Kyari spoke at the official opening ceremony of the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, saying Africa’s vast natural resources alone could not guarantee prosperity without investments in knowledge, innovation and enterprise. According to him, “Africa is richly-endowed with fertile lands, diverse ecosystems, abundant biodiversity and one of the…
Land can make or break your farm. In Nigeria, it’s one of the biggest reasons new farmers struggle or quit. Before you buy seeds or rent a tractor, take these eight things into cognisance: Land tenure and ownership documents: Is the land free from family, community, or government dispute? In many areas, land is held under customary law. Always get proper documentation, Certificate of Occupancy, Deed of Assignment, or Governor’s Consent. Do due diligence with a lawyer and the Lands Registry. Farming on disputed land means you can lose everything after two seasons. Location and accessibility: Can trucks reach your farm in rainy season?…
On a 20-hectare greenhouse in Ogun State, 29-year-old Tolu Adebayo monitors soil moisture on his phone while drones spray tomatoes below. 500 kilometers away in Kano, a cooperative of women processes shea butter for export to the United States, and in Benue, tractors move in convoys across land that, a decade ago, was tilled by hand. These are not isolated stories. They are early signals of what experts say could be Nigeria’s biggest economic shift yet, agriculture moving from subsistence to industry. With oil revenues uncertain and a population set to hit 400 million by 2050, the question is no…
The Federal Government has approved the appointment of Dr. Moshood Popoola, as the Provost of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, Oyo State. Other appointees are: Dr. Dashe Gunya, Executive Director, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos; and Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed, Provost, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, Jos, Plateau State. The approval, which was made known by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, comes after due process of examinations and interviews of qualified candidates, who applied for the positions, according to the statement issued by the Public Relations Officer to the Executive Secretary of ARCN, Khadijat…
The Federal Government has launched an agricultural intervention programme aimed at supporting two million smallholder farmers across Nigeria, who benefit from structured financing, quality farm inputs, extension services, weather advisories and a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) mechanism. With the move designed to improve productivity, reduce market risks and strengthen agricultural value chains, the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Arzikin Noma Africa, flagged off the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Programme in Zaria, Kaduna State. In a statement issued by the team lead, Corporate Communication Department, Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Ruth Didam, the programme formed part…
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority has flagged off the third phase of its Green Hope Project in Ogun State, with 100 women benefiting from land allocation, capacity building, and agricultural support aimed at boosting commercial horticulture production. The agency also inaugurated its Youth Agroforestry and Climate Action Campaign, unveiling plans to plant one million trees across its horticulture projects nationwide by 2030 to strengthen climate resilience and environmental sustainability. Speaking during the flag-off of the programme at Emurin in the Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Engr. Cornelius Adebayo said the initiative…
The Federal Government, through the Equipment Leasing Registration Authority, has said expanding access to equipment leasing is critical to boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening food security, and empowering young Nigerians to build sustainable agribusinesses. The authority made this known at the grand finale of the fifth edition of the Agriculture, Youth and Technology Nigeria Challenge, organised by Heifer International Nigeria, where it reaffirmed its strategic partnership with the development organisation to improve young entrepreneurs’ access to productive assets through affordable leasing solutions. Speaking at the event, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of ELRA, Donald Wokoma, said inadequate access to equipment and modern technology…
President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria would no longer export raw cocoa beans while importing finished chocolate products, unveiling an ambitious plan to transform the country’s cocoa industry through local processing, industrialisation, and value addition. Represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, at the Cocoa Value Addition Summit 2026 in Abuja, the President said the era of exporting raw agricultural commodities without capturing their full economic value must end, as Nigeria seeks to create jobs, attract investments, and earn more foreign exchange from cocoa. The summit, themed “From Bean to Brand: The Bean in My Hand, The Brand in…
