By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
Nigeria’s persistent food inflation, despite signs of easing headline inflation, has once again drawn attention to deep-rooted structural challenges in the country’s agricultural sector, with Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, a Senior Economist at the World Bank, warning that the problem lies not in policy design but in weak execution, poor coordination, and inconsistent funding.
Speaking during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ogun State, Oredipe said Nigeria has developed several robust agricultural policies over the years but has consistently failed to translate them into measurable outcomes that can ensure food security, generate foreign exchange, and create jobs at scale.
He emphasized that agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economic future, anchored on three critical pillars: feeding the population, generating revenue, and creating employment. According to him, while these goals are well understood at both national and international levels, the country continues to struggle with achieving them in practice.
Oredipe noted that successive governments have introduced multiple frameworks, including legacy initiatives like Operation Feed the Nation and more recent reforms such as the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) championed by former Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina. However, he stressed that inconsistency in implementation and shifting political priorities have limited their long-term impact.
Reflecting on the ATA, Oredipe described it as a well-designed programme that achieved notable milestones, including reaching about 14 million farmers through the innovative e-wallet system that improved access to inputs like seeds and fertilizers. Despite these gains, he said the programme struggled to sustain its momentum due to insufficient political will and funding continuity.
He further pointed to structural inefficiencies within Nigeria’s agricultural system, particularly the fragmentation of farmers. While acknowledging the impact of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria, he argued that the absence of organized farmer groups and aggregation systems continues to discourage large-scale investment and limit efficiency.
On insecurity, Oredipe warned that the crisis has evolved beyond farmer-herder conflicts into a broader national threat, with kidnapping now posing a major challenge to agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods. He noted that the widespread nature of insecurity, driven by economic and criminal factors, has disrupted farming activities and discouraged investment across the sector.
At the subnational level, he commended efforts by the Ogun State government, highlighting initiatives such as mechanization support and tractor service centres in areas like Ijebu Ode, which have helped farmers reduce production costs, particularly in land preparation.
Oredipe also linked Nigeria’s agricultural challenges to global disruptions, including the Russia-Ukraine war, which has affected food systems and supply chains worldwide, further compounding domestic pressures.
Addressing rising food prices, he aligned with supply-driven solutions, emphasizing that increasing agricultural output remains the most sustainable way to stabilize prices. He cautioned against over-reliance on price controls, noting that basic economic principles of supply and demand should guide policy responses.
He further revealed that Nigeria continues to underinvest in agriculture, allocating only about 4–5 percent of its budget to the sector, far below the 10 percent benchmark recommended under global frameworks. According to him, competing priorities, particularly security spending, have constrained the flow of resources needed to drive agricultural transformation.
On livestock reforms, Oredipe defended initiatives such as the creation of a livestock ministry and RUGA settlements, describing them as necessary steps toward improving productivity, reducing conflict, and enhancing economic efficiency within the sector.
Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of attracting young people into agriculture through digitalization and innovation. He argued that modernizing the sector and making it more appealing to the youth is essential for long-term sustainability and economic growth.
Oredipe concluded that Nigeria’s agricultural crisis is not due to a lack of ideas but a failure to sustain and effectively implement them, urging policymakers to focus on execution, funding consistency, and system-wide coordination.
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