Petroleum is still widely recognized as the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy; however, Agriculture in Nigeria remains the foundation or bedrock of the nation’s economy. It is an invaluable sector whose contributions to national revenue cannot be overlooked. Every year, the agricultural sector provides millions of jobs, tonnes of food and valuable raw materials, all of which translate into economic growth and development.

FACTS ABOUT AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA
Here are seven interesting facts about agriculture in Nigeria that you probably didn’t know about:

1. Agriculture Contributes More to Nigeria’s GDP Than Petroleum
2. Agriculture Currently Accounts for Over 30% Of Employment Opportunities in Nigeria
3. Nigeria Has a Total Agricultural Land Area Of 70.8 million Hectares
4. Crop Production Is the Largest Subsector of Agriculture in Nigeria
5. Nigeria Is the World’s Largest Producer of Cassava and Yam
6. Livestock Production Is Still Largely Under-Exploited in Nigeria
7. Nigeria Was Ranked 119th On The 2017 Global Agricultural Innovation Index

1. AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTES MORE TO NIGERIA’S GDP THAN PETROLEUM
It may interest you to know that for many years, agriculture has contributed more to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than petroleum, even though the latter accounts for about 80% of the country’s annual export earnings. Between 2011 and 2012, agriculture contributed to over 40% of the nation’s GDP. In 2018, the agricultural sector contributed an estimated 25% to Nigeria’s total GDP, the most by any sector, while the oil sector contributed 8.6% over the same period.

Read the detailed facts and statistics here: Agriculture in Nigeria