Saving Agriculture in Nigeria from Abundant Life

INTRODUCTION

Generally, agriculture comprise the main fields of human activity concerning the primary production of food and cash crops, livestock, fishing, forestry and marketing  of products. The role of agriculture in any economy is very well articulated in the relevant literature. For developing countries, it can promote economic development by increasing availability of food and releasing labour for the industries.

It can also expand the size of the domestic market for industrial goods. It raises the level of savings and capital formation while also earning foreign exchange from exports. This work will view how agriculture can save human life.

ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In Nigeria, the expected role of the sector in economic development is contained in the agricultural policy objectives in the periodic development and subsequent rolling plans. The objectives are nor profoundly different from the universal role of agriculture in an economy. The sector is expected to supply the food needs of a growing population, raw materials for the industries, improve the welfare of the rural populace and provide a market for the industrial sector. It is also expected to generate foreign exchange for the country and store up labour for the industrial sector.

Nigeria does have the potential to develop a vibrant agricultural sector. The country is well endowed with expansive, arable and fertile land. It is boarded by the sea to the south and has several rivers, streams, lakes, forests and grasslands.

Agricultural revival strategies can be perceived as policies and programs targeted at turning around the fortunes of a country’s agricultural sector. They consist of deliberate policy measures and programmes aimed at fine-turning activities in the sector with a view to boasting production and eliminating constraints it might pose to other sectors of the economy. It could be in the form of microeconomic or sectoral policy initiatives relating to specific sectors of an economy, in this case agriculture and concerned mainly with production effort therein.

Therefore, by adopting the following system agriculture will be save for abundant life in Nigeria these are:

1.      Promotion of self-sufficiency in food and raw materials for industries.

2.      Improvement of the socio-economic welfare of rural people engaged in agriculture.

3.      Diversification of the sources of foreign exchange earnings through increased agricultural exports arising from adoption of appropriate technologies in food production and distribution.

4.      National accelerated food production programme

5.      Also adopt the special programme on food security for example special rice programme

6.      Root and their tuber expansion programme

7.      Crops  insurance

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it is necessary to reiterate that the revival programmes were constrained by various factors ranging from socio-economic to institutional and structural factors. Problems persist in the sector, which militate against the attainment of its potential. However, there are prospects for enhanced production and productivity in the sector given the country’s potential and the fact that a considerable percentage of the population depends on it.

Therefore, way of reviving agriculture productivity can bring save abundant life in Nigerian once again.

REFERENCES

Anyawu, j C et al “structure of Nigerian Economy”: Onitsha Joanne educational Publisher. (1997)

Agu, C C “Nigeria Baking: Structure and Performance”. Nigeria: Africana-Fep. (1981)

Eyo, E E “Implication of pricing for national Food Security”: Central Bank of Nigeria. Bullion xxI (2) (1997) P. 46-54.