Nigeria’s agricultural sector has engaged an estimated 40 million households which have actively participated in crop farming and livestock.
That is based on the newly launched Nationwide Agricultural Pattern Survey (NASS) 2023, collectively unveiled by the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety, the Meals and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Financial institution.
The info collected in Abuja offers an in depth nationwide image of years of crop manufacturing, livestock numbers, land use, labour patterns, gender participation and family engagement in agriculture.
Figures from the survey (2022/2023) season present cassava main major-season harvests at 21.9 million tonnes, adopted by yam at 18.7 million tonnes and maize at 17.35 million tonnes.
The report signifies that livestock numbers totalled 273.8 million, primarily comprising goats, sheep, and cattle, whereas poultry manufacturing reached 683.68 million birds. On the similar time, catfish led fish manufacturing at 27 million tonnes.
The survey encompasses the nation’s 92.3 million hectares of land, comprising 36.8 million hectares of arable land and 1.3 million hectares of water our bodies, which displays the varied ecological zones that form manufacturing.
Regardless of the sector’s central position in employment and financial output, Stakeholders acknowledged that home manufacturing nonetheless lags behind inhabitants development, growing strain on meals safety and import payments for staples equivalent to wheat, rice, and fish.
The Minister of Agriculture and Meals Safety, Senator Abubakar Kyari, acknowledged that the survey will allow the federal government to observe nationwide priorities and fulfil its worldwide obligations.
He added that agriculture requires dependable knowledge to ship on its financial potential, noting: “As a key engine of Nigeria’s financial development, agriculture necessitates constant, dependable, and up-to-date knowledge.”
He stated, “The report represents greater than statistical outputs; it displays our dedication to transparency, disciplined planning, and the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.”
The statistician-general of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, harassed the urgency of utilizing the findings to shut longstanding gaps, saying: “The survey outcomes are each well timed and important for guiding insurance policies that may shut knowledge gaps inside Nigeria’s agricultural panorama.”
FAO and World Financial institution officers acknowledged that such detailed datasets will assist information reforms, improve resilience, and drive focused investments throughout key worth chains.
Dr Hussein Gadain, FAO consultant to Nigeria and ECOWAS, urged stakeholders to deploy the findings to enhance planning and mobilise funding.
“The aim is to handle meals crises, local weather vulnerabilities, enhance rural livelihoods, create jobs, and construct resilience”, Gadain stated.
World Financial institution senior economist Abul Azad praised the federal government’s dedication to data-driven governance.
“The agriculture survey represents a steady authorities effort and demonstrates a powerful dedication to data-driven interventions”, he stated.
