| Circumstances changed radically with the oil boom of | | | | leverages the nation's extensive resources and |
| the 1970s, as the discovery of vast oil and gas | | | | human capital. |
| reserves in the strategically significant sub-Saharan | | | | The intricacy of issues involved here is reflected in |
| nation turned its fortunes overnight. The windfall | | | | the fact that the National Poverty Eradication |
| transformed Nigeria's agricultural landscape into a | | | | Programme of 2001 identifies agriculture and rural |
| gigantic oil field crisscrossed by more than 7,000 km | | | | development as its primary area of interest. The fact |
| of pipelines connecting 6,000 oil wells, two refineries, | | | | that all development has to begin from the |
| innumerable flow stations and export terminals. The | | | | bottom-up cannot be overemphasised in the context |
| colossal investments in the sector paid off, with | | | | of Nigeria, where a farming boom can ensure not |
| unofficial estimates suggesting Abuja raked in more | | | | just food supply and exports but also provide |
| than $600 billion in petrodollars in the last decade | | | | industrial raw materials and a market for products. |
| alone. | | | | Agricultural expansion is critical to economic prosperity |
| Unfortunately, the obsession with non-renewables | | | | across Western Africa, considering the region's |
| over all other sectors of the economy eventually | | | | crippling poverty levels. A 2003 conference organised |
| turned Nigeria's boon into a bane. Newfound wealth | | | | by NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's |
| spawned political instability and massive corruption in | | | | Development) in South Africa strongly urged the |
| government circles, and the country was rent | | | | promotion of cassava cultivation as a poverty |
| asunder by decades of violent civil war and | | | | eradication tool across the continent. The |
| successive military coups. Agriculture was one of the | | | | recommendation is based on a strategy that focuses |
| first casualties of the oil regime, and by the 1990s, | | | | on markets, private sector participation and research |
| cultivation accounted for just 5% of GDP. Farming | | | | to drive a pan-African cassava initiative. What was |
| modernisation and support continued to remain low | | | | once a rural staple and famine-reserve food has |
| on the list of national priorities as vast stretches of | | | | become a lucrative cash crop! |
| rural Nigeria gradually plunged into poverty and food | | | | The NEPAD initiative has strong relevance for Nigeria, |
| scarcity. Deforestation, soil erosion and industrial | | | | the world's largest cassava producer. With its large |
| pollution further hastened the down-spiral of | | | | rural population and extensive farmlands, the country |
| agriculture to the point where it ended up as a | | | | boasts unrivalled opportunities of transforming the |
| subsistence activity. | | | | humble cassava to an industrial raw material for both |
| The fall of Nigerian agriculture coincided with the | | | | domestic and international markets. There is a |
| collapse of its macroeconomic and human | | | | growing and well-justified belief that the crop can |
| development indicators. With income distribution | | | | transform rural economies, spur rapid economic and |
| concentrated on a few urban pockets, the majority | | | | industrial growth and assist disadvantaged |
| of rural Nigeria was left reeling under massive | | | | communities. While production grew steadily between |
| poverty, unemployment and food shortages. A | | | | 1980 and 2002 from 10,000 MT to over 35,000 MT, |
| widening urban-rural divide sparked social unrest and | | | | there is scope for significant further increase by |
| mass migration into towns and cities. Organised urban | | | | bringing more land under cassava cultivation. Nigeria |
| crime became as real a security threat as militancy in | | | | must take the lead not only in developing better |
| the Niger Delta region. Nigeria plummeted to the | | | | production, harvesting and processing technologies, |
| bottom in world economic rankings and Africa's most | | | | but also in finding new uses and markets for what is |
| populous nation acquired the unhappy distinction of | | | | undoubtedly a wonder crop. Nigeria stands to make |
| having more than half (54%) of its 148 million people | | | | giant strides towards inclusive and sustainable |
| living in abject poverty. The World Bank coined the | | | | development simply through the intelligent and |
| term "Nigerian Paradox" specifically to describe the | | | | judicious promotion of cassava farming. |
| unique condition of extreme underdevelopment and | | | | The following are some of the most urgent |
| poverty in a country brimming with resources and | | | | requirements for a successful revolution in Nigerian |
| potential. The country was ranked 80th in a 2007 | | | | agriculture:o Active promotion and establishment of |
| UNDP poverty survey covering 108 countries. | | | | agro-based industries that generate employment, |
| The transition to democratic civilian rule at the end of | | | | sustain local food requirements and encourage |
| the last century paved the way for an enthusiastic | | | | exports.o Effective steps to modernise and diversify |
| programme of economic reform and restructuring. | | | | the agricultural economy as a means of buttressing |
| Abuja's urgency for inclusive growth was much in | | | | entrepreneurial growth in ancillary sectors.o Institution |
| evidence in the adoption of an ambitious blueprint | | | | of a tariff system that promotes local produce |
| designed to reverse trends and jumpstart a | | | | against cheaper imports, together with the removal |
| stagnating economy. The Vision 2020 document | | | | of institutional barriers against agricultural profitability.o |
| adopted under former president O Obsanjo lays out | | | | Subsidies on technologically advanced farm equipment |
| broad parameters for sustainable development with | | | | and practices that help boost productivity without |
| the specific goal of instating Nigeria as a global | | | | any adverse ecological side effects.o An umbrella |
| economic superpower in a time-bound manner. The | | | | poverty alleviation programme designed specifically to |
| 2020 goals are in addition to Nigeria's commitment to | | | | promote agrarian reforms while simultaneously |
| the UN Millennial Declaration of 2000 that proposes | | | | improving the quality of life in rural communities.o |
| universal basic human rights by 2015. | | | | Enhanced access to agricultural enterprise loans |
| The realisation of these allied and intertwined | | | | through a network of regulated lending institutions |
| objectives depends entirely on Abuja's ability to bring | | | | sympathetic to farming realities.o Adult education |
| about inclusive growth by means of an | | | | programmes designed to help Nigerian farmers |
| entrepreneurial revolution, while simultaneously | | | | upgrade to locally relevant but modern methods of |
| correcting massive infrastructural shortages and | | | | cultivation, marketing and distribution.o |
| administrative anomalies. Economies usually begin | | | | Encouragement of both public and private sector |
| expanding with an initial agricultural revolution: The | | | | agricultural research aimed at correcting technological |
| case of Nigeria however calls for agriculture to be | | | | constraints faced by local farming communities. |
| part of a larger enterprise revolution that efficiently | | | | |