The Federal Government has projected that agriculture could account for up to 30 per cent of President Bola Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy ambition, potentially generating an estimated $300 billion for the country.
The projection was made in Abuja on Wednesday during the launch of the Grassroots Digital Extension Corps, GDEC, a new initiative designed to improve farmers’ access to agricultural knowledge, increase productivity and strengthen the connection between research institutions and farming communities.
A total of 1,884 personnel, comprising 1,110 agricultural extension agents and 774 food security specialists, have been trained under the programme across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking at the national launch, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, described the initiative as a major step towards addressing the country’s low agricultural productivity and unlocking the sector’s economic potential.
Abdullahi disclosed that agriculture currently contributes approximately 26 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and provides employment for more than 70 per cent of the population across different segments of its value chain.
Despite its significant contribution to employment and economic activities, he expressed concern that the sector generates only about $1 billion in foreign exchange earnings, arguing that improved production, processing and export capacity could significantly increase its revenue.
According to the minister, "Agriculture could contribute as much as 30 per cent to President Bola Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy vision, translating to approximately $300 billion."
He maintained that achieving this ambition would depend largely on building a knowledge-based agricultural system backed by competent personnel and efficient extension services.
The minister also highlighted the wide productivity gap between Nigeria and other African countries, insisting that farmers needed better access to modern farming techniques and practical agricultural information.
He noted that yields of several crops in Nigeria remained between 1.3 and 1.5 tonnes per hectare, while Egypt records approximately 11 tonnes per hectare under irrigation.
Citing cassava production, Abdullahi said Nigeria remained the world's largest producer, with annual output estimated at 63 million metric tonnes. However, he observed that the country's average yield of six to seven tonnes per hectare was still significantly below its production capacity.
He explained that effective extension services could help farmers improve output, cut production expenses and take advantage of industrial opportunities through the processing of cassava into high-quality flour and other value-added products.
Abdullahi further argued that agricultural extension programmes should not be limited to teaching farmers planting methods but must also provide market-related information capable of connecting farm production with industrial demand.
"If your extension services and advice to me is not market-centric, you are just deceiving the farmer. You are wasting his time and discouraging him," he said.
The minister also advocated the integration of GDEC with the ministry’s existing National Electronic Extension Platform, NEEP, warning that operating separate initiatives without proper coordination could result in duplicated efforts and inconsistent information reaching farmers.
He proposed establishing a ministerial-level committee to bring existing programmes together under a coordinated national agricultural extension framework.
He equally called on the National Assembly to reconsider the proposed Agricultural Extension Bill to strengthen the delivery of extension services across the country.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, explained that GDEC was developed in collaboration with the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension and other stakeholders to address the disconnect between agricultural research and its implementation at the grassroots.
Ibrahim said the programme was designed around three major pillars: people, tools and data.
He added that the initiative would also collect information directly from farming communities, providing the government with reliable field-level data to develop more effective and evidence-based agricultural policies and interventions.
Also speaking, the Director of the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension, Engr. Dr Taiye Tehinse, said digital solutions such as FarmEasy would strengthen traditional extension methods by making communication, data gathering and agricultural decision-making more efficient.
Tehinse stressed that personnel trained under the programme must combine digital knowledge with practical agricultural expertise to deliver effective advisory services to farmers.
He also emphasised the importance of ensuring that women, young people and persons with disabilities are adequately represented in digital agricultural programmes.
FG projects $300bn agriculture contribution to Tinubu’s $1trn economy target