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Agriculture and its Potentials for Nigeria’s Economic Diversification
By Diana Tenebe, Chief Operating Officer, Foodstuff Store
Nigeria is a nation that is blessed with arable land and a teeming youthful population. For so long the nation has been tied to the fortunes of crude oil. Oil revenues have dominated the sustenance of economic development. The overall annual GDP growth for Nigeria in 2024 is reported at 3.40%.
The oil sector’s contribution to real GDP in Q4 2024 was 4.60%, with an annual growth rate of 5.54%. The agriculture sector contributed 24.64% to real GDP in Q4 2024, and 20.97% to aggregate nominal GDP for the full year, though its growth was more modest at 1.2% to 1.76% across different quarters. The non-oil sector, which includes agriculture, contributed a substantial 95.40% to real GDP in Q4 2024, indicating a decreasing reliance on oil as the main economic driver.
Nigeria’s economy is primarily driven by its non-oil sectors, with agriculture serving as a significant foundation, even with its ongoing productivity and security hurdles. There’s optimism that agriculture could spearhead the nation’s economic diversification in the future, especially if it’s strategically developed to generate foreign exchange and government revenue.
Agriculture was the bedrock of the Nigerian economy before the oil boom. Agriculture was the undisputed mainstay of Nigeria’s economy, contributing over 60% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing more than 70% of the population. Regions specialised in cashcrops like cocoa, palm oil, groundnuts, and rubber making Nigeria a significant global exporter. The revenue generated from these agricultural activities fueled infrastructural development, education and social amenities across the country. The oil boom in the 1970s led to a neglect of the agricultural sector and fostered an over-reliance on petrodollars and invariably led to the stifling of the development of a diversified economy.
Just weeks into office in July 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national emergency on food security, signaling a commitment to transforming agriculture into a modern, productive, and resilient engine of growth. Key initiatives include the immediate release of fertilizers and grains from national strategic reserves, a harmonisation of efforts between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to enable all-season farming through expanded irrigation, and the proposed establishment of a National Commodity Board to stabilize food prices and strengthen reserves. The administration of President Bola Tinubu has embarked on significant reforms to position agriculture as an economic tool to drive diversification. The efforts are constantly challenged by the pervasive violence of bandits on Nigeria farmers.
One of the flagship programs is the Agro-Pocket Initiative under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme, targeting the cultivation of 750,000 hectares for staple crops like rice, maize, wheat, and cassava, providing targeted support and input vouchers to farmers. To cushion the effects of inflation, the administration also announced a 150-day suspension of duties and tariffs on essential food imports and facilitated the import of significant quantities of maize and wheat for small-scale processors. Furthermore, a new National Agricultural Extension Policy aims to deliver demand-driven, ICT-enabled, and market-oriented extension services, moving away from outdated methods.
The ambitious agricultural agenda faces a formidable adversary: widespread banditry and insecurity. Across various regions, particularly in the food-producing states, farmers are increasingly subjected to violent attacks, kidnappings, and extortion. These acts of violence have devastating consequences, forcing many farmers to abandon their farmlands, reducing cultivated areas, and disrupting the entire agricultural value chain. The fear of attack not only deters new investments but also jeopardizes the livelihoods of existing farmers, leading to reduced agricultural output and escalating food prices. The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) recently highlighted that “No Farmer, No Food: Attacks on Farmers Fuel Nigeria’s Hunger Crisis,” underscoring the direct link between insecurity and food insecurity.
The Tinubu administration acknowledges this critical challenge. The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has reiterated the government’s commitment to returning displaced farmers to their communities and farms, emphasizing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through kinetic responses alone. There’s a recognition that addressing the root causes of violent extremism, such as poverty and lack of opportunity, through inclusive, whole-of-government, and whole-of-society solutions, including integrated agricultural approaches, is crucial. The approval of Forest Guards is also seen as a transformative measure to enhance security for farmers.
Beyond the immediate crisis of insecurity, Nigeria’s agricultural sector still grapples with a myriad of systemic challenges. These include poor access to finance, with many farmers relying on informal lenders at exorbitant rates; high production costs, exacerbated by fuel subsidy removal; inadequate infrastructure, leading to significant post-harvest losses; and the impacts of climate change, such as erratic rainfall patterns and floods. Experts advocate for sustained investment in agricultural infrastructure, including irrigation systems, storage facilities, and rural road networks, to reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.
Despite these hurdles, the potential for agriculture to drive Nigeria’s economic diversification remains immense. By focusing on value addition through agro-processing, leveraging modern agricultural technology (precision farming, irrigation, biotechnology, satellite imagery for yield prediction), diversifying crop production beyond traditional cash crops to include high-demand items, and investing in livestock and aquaculture, Nigeria can unlock significant economic growth. Public-private partnerships and accessible financial solutions, coupled with robust policy reforms, are vital to support smallholder farmers and attract necessary investments.
The journey beyond oil will be long and arduous, but agriculture offers Nigeria a tangible and sustainable path to economic resilience. President Tinubu’s reforms demonstrate a clear intent, but their success hinges on the government’s ability to effectively tackle the escalating violence against farmers. Without a secure environment, the seeds of diversification will struggle to take root, and the promise of a thriving agricultural sector will remain elusive. Only when farmers can work their lands in peace will agriculture truly become the robust engine Nigeria needs to diversify its economy and secure a prosperous future for its citizens.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reinforced its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through strengthened collaboration with key strategic institutions, as it hosted the Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Professor Ayo Omotayo, alongside participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 48, 2026.
The visit, which builds on an earlier strategic study tour, provided a platform for in-depth engagement on the role of digital innovation in driving sustainable economic growth, with particular focus on the Orange Economy.
Representing the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Dr Aristotle Onumo, highlighted the Agency’s commitment to fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem through inclusive policies, strategic partnerships, and capacity development initiatives.
“NITDA is committed to creating an enabling environment where innovation can thrive by bringing together government, private sector, academia, and creatives to drive Nigeria’s digital economy,” he stated.
Inuwa underscored the growing importance of the Orange Economy, describing it as a critical driver of innovation and economic value through intellectual property. He identified sectors such as digital content creation, film, animation, and digital art as key contributors to national development.
“The Orange Economy represents a powerful opportunity to transform our rich cultural heritage and creativity into sustainable economic growth,” he noted.
He further highlighted Nigeria’s unique advantage, particularly its youthful and creative population, while calling for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to fully harness the sector’s potential.
“With our youthful population and rich cultural assets, Nigeria is well-positioned to become a global leader in the Orange Economy if we deepen collaboration and investment across the ecosystem,” he added.
During the engagement, NITDA also presented its strategic initiatives aimed at supporting the digital and creative sectors, including digital infrastructure development, promotion of digital literacy, and implementation of policies that enable startups and innovators to scale.
Addressing challenges facing the sector, Inuwa pointed to issues such as limited access to funding, infrastructure gaps, weak intellectual property protection, and ecosystem fragmentation, while emphasising the need for coordinated action.
“Addressing challenges such as funding gaps, infrastructure deficits, and intellectual property protection is critical to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s creative economy,” he said.
The Agency reiterated its target of achieving 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027, noting that ongoing programmes are equipping millions of Nigerians with essential digital skills, including those in underserved and informal sectors.
In his remark, Professor Omotayo described the visit as an important opportunity to deepen understanding of how digital technologies are reshaping economic sectors, particularly the creative industry. He noted that the insights gathered would contribute significantly to policy recommendations aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s economic framework.
Participants of the SEC 48 programme engaged actively during the session, raising questions on capacity development, access to tools, and frameworks for protecting digital content. NITDA highlighted its ongoing collaborations with industry stakeholders to provide training, innovation hubs, and access to digital tools for young Nigerians.
The engagement concluded with a renewed commitment from both NITDA and NIPSS to strengthen collaboration in research, policy development, and capacity building, aimed at positioning Nigeria as a globally competitive force in the digital and creative economy.
Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has assumed responsibility for collecting mineral royalties from mining operators nationwide, following new tax laws effective January 1, 2026.
NRS
The shift emerged from a Thursday meeting between Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake and NRS Chairman Dr. Zacch Adedeji. Their joint statement, endorsed by both, confirms NRS now administers all federally collectible revenues, including royalties.
Enacted by President Bola Tinubu on June 26, 2025, the Nigeria Tax Laws 2025 empower this transition. The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development remains a key partner, supplying pricing data, geological insights, and sector coordination.
NRS Special Adviser Dare Adekanmbi’s statement outlines collaborative steps: a nationwide sensitization program for operators on filing and payments; development of a digital royalty system; and regular joint technical sessions to address issues.
Both agencies pledge orderly, transparent implementation to boost the mining sector. Operators must comply with obligations and join upcoming programs.
The move aims to streamline revenue collection while fostering mining growth.
Microsoft has rolled out a new set of features for its Microsoft 365 Copilot platform, including tools for complex, multi-step work and deeper research tasks, as competition in workplace artificial intelligence (AI) intensifies.
The update introduces Copilot Cowork, a capability aimed at handling long-running tasks across Microsoft 365 applications.
The feature is being made available through the company’s Frontier programme, which typically gives early access to experimental tools.
Microsoft is also integrating technology linked to Claude – an AI model developed by Anthropic –into Copilot, signalling a broader shift toward using multiple AI systems within a single product rather than relying on a single model.
Jared Spataro, chief marketing officer for AI at Work at Microsoft, says the company is positioning Copilot as a system embedded directly into workplace software, rather than a standalone tool.
“Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI for work,” he says, adding that it draws on multiple AI models and is integrated into existing workflows.
Alongside this, Microsoft has upgraded its Researcher feature, which is designed to analyse information from multiple sources and generate structured reports.
A new “Critique” function separates the drafting and review process between different AI models – one generates an initial response, while another evaluates and refines it.
The company says this approach improves output quality, with Researcher showing gains on its internal benchmark for accuracy, completeness and objectivity.
Another addition, called Model Council, allows users to compare outputs from different AI models side-by-side, highlighting differences in responses and reasoning.
The updates form part of what Microsoft calls “Wave 3” of Copilot, as it pushes to embed generative AI deeper into enterprise software. The move reflects a wider industry trend towards combining models from multiple providers, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to improve performance and reliability.
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