Nigeria ranks among one of the countries in the world with the highest agricultural resources.

A nation blessed with an abundance of agricultural products. From the East to the West, North to South of Nigeria, there is an abundance and variety of agricultural products, which regrettably have been largely unexploited and undeveloped.

Each and every state in Nigeria is blessed with a unique agricultural product, which if developed and harnessed in line with modern and technological developments would see Nigeria not only been self sufficient in food and livestock production but also make it a major exporter of Agricultural products to the world.

Back in the 1960s, agriculture contributed to over 60% of the nation’s GDP, and despite the reliance of Nigerian peasant farmers on traditional tools and indigenous farming methods, these farmers produced 70% of Nigeria’s exports and 95% of its food needs.

During this period, Nigeria was the world’s second largest producer of cocoa, world’s largest exporter of palm kernel, world’s largest exporter and producer of palm oil. Nigeria was also a leading exporter of other commodities such as Cashew nuts, cotton, groundnut, rubber and hides and skin.

Regrettably, more than 50 years later, Agriculture accounts for just slightly above 20% of the nation’s GDP and foreign exchange, the nation now relies on imported agricultural products and foods to feed itself and Nigeria is no where to be found in the map of leading exporters and producers of agricultural products.

For more than 50 years, we abandoned agriculture to enjoy the quick, faster, abundant and ever flowing wealth that crude oil and its discovery had bestowed on the nation.
Today, most Nigerians would agree that crude oil discovery in Nigeria has almost become a curse to the nation, especially with its attendant effect on Agricultural development in Nigeria; mainly the abandonment of Agriculture.

In every state and region in Nigeria today, can be found these agricultural resources and potentials waiting to be harnessed and developed, be it; cashew nuts, cassava, cocoa beans, groundnuts, gum arabic, kolanut, maize (corn), melon, millet, palm kernels, palm oil, plantains, rice, rubber, sorghum, soybeans, yams, fruits and vegetables.

Below is a summary of Nigeria’s agricultural products and the region and states where they are currently grown in large quantities and with potential for large scale production and processing;



OIL PALM

Supported by the climate, soil and vegetation in the following states; Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia (South East), Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers, (South-South states. Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti (South- South)


COCOA

Nigeria’s cocoa is grown in thirteen of the 36 states, maily in the Southern part of the country. However, export quality can be found in South-West; Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun.


GROUNDNUT

Groundnut can be grown in large and export qualities in the Northern part of Nigeria. The North-West and North-East accounted for nearly 90% of Nigeria’ groundnut exports in the 1960s. The following states have huge potentials for groundnut; Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kastina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi (North-West), Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, Taraba, Borno (North-East), Niger, Plateu, Nassarawa (North-Central)



CASHEW / RAW CASHEW NUTS.

Cashew is grown in two – third of the 36 states in Nigeria. However, the Nigerian cashew of export quality is found and grown mainly in South – East (Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia) and South-West (Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo). Other states include; Kogi, FCT, Nassarawa, Cross river and Taraba.


BEEF, HIDES & SKIN

Nigeria’s beef comes predominantly from the Northern part of the country. The following states are known for cattle rearing and hence a large potential for meeting the nation’s beef demands and also earn foreign exchange in hides and skin exports.

States include; Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kastina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi (North-West), Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno (North-East), Niger (North- Central)



PEPPER (Fresh and dry)

Nigeria’s current local demands for pepper is being met through local production in the following states; Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, (North-West), Plateau (North – Central) and Bauchi (North-East).



TOMATOE

Tomatoe is largely grown in the Northern part of the country. States include; Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna (North-West), Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba (North-East),


CASSAVA.

The bulk of Nigeria’s cassava comes from the South East (Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia) Other leading states in cassava production include; Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Ondo, Ogun, Cross River and Delta.


COTTON

States leading in cotton production in Nigeria include; Kaduna, Ondo, Kano, Katsina ,Oyo, Kwara, Ogun Zamfara, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi



YAM

The middle belt leads the band in the list of states producing and growing yam in Nigeria, with Benue state being the highest. Other states include; Anambra, Imo, Plateau, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun and Cross River state.


ONION

Kebbi state leads the band in the list of onion producing states in Nigeria. Aliero, Kebbi state is the home of Onions in Nigeria. Other states include; Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna.


MAIZE / CORN.

Maize is predominantly grown in the following northern states in Nigeria; Niger, Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa.



BEANS / COWPEA.

The Nigerian beans is grown predominatly in the Northern part of the country, with the follwing states leading; Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kano, Gombe and Yobe




RICE

The Nigerian local rice is grown mainly in the two regions of South- East (Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu), and Northern part of the country (Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Niger and Taraba).

BANANA / PLANTAIN

Banana and plantain plantations are found mostly in the southern part of the country, with Ondo, Edo, Delta and Ogun states leading in production. Other states with leading banana and plantain production include; Rivers, Cross River, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Plateau, Osun, Bayelsa, Kogi, Abia, Anambra and Enugu.

FRUITS / CITRUS
Benue state leads the pack in fruits and citrus production in Nigeria. With fruits eg; oranges, mangoe, pineapple etc. other states include, Benue, Nassarawa, Kogi, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kaduna, Taraba, Ekiti, Imo, Kwara, Edo, and Delta

RUBBER

Nigeria's Rubber production comes mainly from the Southern states. The following states; Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, are the major rubber producing states.

IN CONCLUSION;
In the last 50 years, since the discovery of crude oil in Nigeria, these agricultural products have been facing a downward trend in the quantity and quality of produce. This has been as a result of factors and challenges which include but not limited to; unimproved seedlings, agro extension services, funding, production and processing.

In the subsequent posts and articles on this series, I shall be undertaking a review of each of the cash crops and agricultural products in Nigeria as listed above; looking at the challenges to large scale production and processing and also proffering a way forward.
We can still get it right, at the least, for the future generation of Nigerians. As the Chinese proverb goes ‘The Best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now’

Article was written by Chika Okeke.
Chika Okeke is an agribusiness consultant, farmer, and agro blogger. He is the CEO, MARIOK Agro Allied & Farms and founder of Agro News Nigeria.

source: http://www.agronewsng.com/2016/03/nigerias-untapped-vast-agricultural-resources/