The need to reframe agriculture as the real engine of economic independence and food security has intensified as Nigeria considers its path toward growth and self-reliance.
Experts concur that unless agriculture becomes the primary driver of economic independence, Nigeria’s progress toward actual sovereignty would not be complete, 65 years after political independence.
From mechanization and irrigation to value-chain industrialization and policy change, they contended that the country’s next stage of development hinges on what it produces, exports, and grows.
The next stage of the nation’s development, according to experts in separate interviews, has to move beyond policy rhetoric and take decisive action, positioning agriculture as a business that can secure the nation and create prosperity.
A coordinated, zero-tolerance attitude to inefficiency is necessary to achieve food security, according to Adebowale Onafowora, MD and founder of BIC Farms Concepts.
By providing money for projects and agro-industrial parks with dedicated power and water access in each major production zone, he stated that the government must serve as a National Infrastructure Grid for Agriculture, concentrating on the development of cold-chain neta as a “derisking agent.” Onafowora emphasized, “This is a capital project, not a social program.”
As “the single fastest way to triple yields, achieve all-year-round farming, and secure the nation against climate change,” he also called for the activation of three million hectares of irrigated land throughout Nigeria.
He believes that addressing insecurity, which has been displacing farmers and interfering with output, must go hand in hand with the government’s reform of land tenure and farmland security.
Establish a single-window land registration platform to make it simpler for serious business investors to obtain finance and land. Concurrently, use decisive force to address the insecurity issue in order to safeguard productive land and foster investor trust,” he continued.
Onafowora pointed out that the private sector must be the driving force behind agricultural transformation, even while the government must establish the conditions that allow it.
He called on agribusinesses to take the lead in value chain industrialization by shifting from exporting raw commodities to processing semi-finished and finished goods for local and international markets.
He recommended that tax benefits and credit facilities with single-digit interest rates be linked to performance that adds value.
Additionally, he recognized mechanization, human capital development, and agri-tech as important productivity boosters.
“Nigeria cannot afford to lose out on any more chances. “The road to economic independence lies beneath the soil, not beneath the sea,” he said.
Oba Dokun Thompson, the creator of the International Cocoa Diplomacy (ICD) and the Oloni of Eti-Oni in Osun State, emphasized the necessity for Nigeria to strike a balance between traditional knowledge and contemporary innovation.
The country must be cautious not to surrender its sovereignty to imported technologies, he said, even though agriculture has entered a data-driven era driven by artificial intelligence, precision instruments, and sustainability regulations.
“As we enter a new era, agriculture may be colonized through the use of specific instruments that will permanently bind us to agreements that will deprive us of our autonomy to ensure food security,” Thompson said.
He suggested that Nigeria investigate its regenerative traditional agriculture practices, which can provide high-value outcomes by utilizing the nation’s inherent biodiversity and organic foods, which fetch premium prices worldwide due to their positive effects on the environment and human health.
He asserts that farmers might access financing through unexplored prospects in climate funds, green bonds, and agricultural insurance.
He added that businesses should view their support of agricultural research institutes as an investment with a measurable return on investment rather than merely a gesture of corporate social responsibility.
Oba Thompson emphasized that cooperation is essential while respecting the government’s role in providing infrastructure and policies.
“We hope to see more partnerships with not just the private sector but also the people for very productive and fruitful years ahead,” he said, adding that the private sector typically advises the government on what is realistic and doable.
Nigeria’s agricultural transformation will necessitate smart private sector investment near production zones and focused input distribution, according to Dr. Abiodun Onalaja, CEO of Hyst Global Business Limited and producer of Okun Rice.
He stated that “targeted vouchers instead of blanket subsidies would ensure farmers actually benefit while encouraging private dealers to thrive.”
Additionally, Onalaja urged the private sector to grow contract farming agreements with smallholder farmers, establish processing facilities near farms, and scale up digital platforms for market access and aggregation.
Development partners may help the endeavor by implementing blended finance and guarantees that lower the risk of agricultural lending, he said.
After considering the nation’s agricultural history, Onalaja stated that Nigerian agriculture is still a tale of “what could be.”
He did, however, express optimism that the sector might become the cornerstone of true independence with the correct combination of reforms, public-private cooperation, and climate-smart investments.
“It is not a pipe dream to have a Nigeria that produces completed goods rather than raw crops, feeds itself, and generates millions of agro-industrial employment. It’s a decision. Nigeria’s freedom will be determined by its soil, not by its oil.
Nigeria’s expanding population, which is currently over 200 million, necessitates an agricultural system that can produce food in significant amounts across the nation’s many agro-ecological zones, according to agribusiness expert Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye.
“The production of root crops, tubers, various grains, perishables, spices, livestock, and fish should be increased with greater attention.”
He pointed out that Nigeria’s food needs cannot be met by smallholder farming alone.
“To guarantee large-scale production, the government must intentionally collaborate with and provide incentives to commercial farmers in the private sector,” he continued.
Oyeleye encouraged the government to improve post-harvest management and guarantee longer shelf life for perishables in order to stabilize supply and prices.
In order to guarantee that agricultural policies are implemented effectively, he also urged political unity and convergence across party lines.
“The generational transition is now clearly visible. Since the younger generation will carry on the farming industry, the government must take them into consideration. “These young people must be the focus of strong and robust policies,” he said, highlighting the significance of financing and insurance plans specifically designed for farmers.
Former National President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), Henry Olatujoye, believes that letting the market run freely has already started to benefit farmers and the economy.
He maintained that the current free-market policies of the government have contributed to price stabilization, increased domestic output, and decreased reliance on imports.
“Farmers get paid more for their labor when supply and demand dictate price,” he stated.
Although commodity prices were quite high in 2024, Olatujoye noted that they have since dropped, with rice going from N100,000 to N55,000 and garri going from N1,400 to N515 per measure in 2025.
“This demonstrates that the government’s strategy of permitting a free market to function is effective,” he stated.
Additionally, he acknowledged that the program had improved Nigeria’s foreign exchange position. “The dollar has dropped over N45 in a month as a result of the decline in the appeal of importing consumer goods. He added that the non-oil sector’s increasing GDP contribution is evidence that the economy is headed in the right way and that people are now deterred from importing what may be produced locally.
Olatujoye stated, “We will attain independence in food and economic security if we continue in this direction.”
