The current Nigeria and France “renewed” relationship is what comes to my mind as I think about the recent X (Twitter) discourse I facilitated on slavery, colonialism, imperialism and the Nigerian Agriculture. Whether the renewed relationship means good for Nigeria?

As Asiwaju visited Paris, signed among others to deepen commerce and diplomatic ties, was a $300m pact to develop in Nigeria critical sectors agriculture inclusive. This is important for many reasons: the present state of food insecurity in the nation, France’s agricultural capacity, and a changing nature of geopolitics in Africa.

France has an $80bn annual agricultural output. This represents 18% of EU’s total agricultural output, earning her EU’s largest agricultural producer. Her agrifood industry yielded over $200bn in sales last 2 years.  

Such ties with a strong agricultural state could promote mutually beneficial trade and adoption of progressive ideas for agricultural transformation and help fix food insecurity in Nigeria.

While this development appears new and promising, the history of contract suggests otherwise.

First is that Nigeria already does a $5bn trade with France. The nation with this is France’s largest trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022, Nigeria’s export to France amounted to $4.95bn and France’s to Nigeria $645m.

While it appears a positive trade balance for Nigeria, 84% of Nigeria’s export was crude oil and followed by petroleum gas ($598m) and soybean meal ($78.7m).

France’s exports, however, were formed largely by refined petroleum (11.25%), medical supplies (8.4%) and hard liquor (7.5%), and could be benefiting more selling refined products, the raw materials for their manufacturing many originally purchased from Nigeria.

With this it is apparent that trade and a huge one at that was already in place between both countries, but never more on agriculture and value-added products despite the both nation’s agricultural potential, production and dependence.   

It thus breeds question on the two nations: why Nigeria does more exports of raw inputs/materials to France and not trade rather, value-added products exploiting Paris’ $80bn agriculture or $200bn agrifood industry? 

It is understood that this could just be of Nigeria’s parochial focus on oil commodity export and the sector constituting bulk of its foreign earnings and agricultural exports not given much attention.

However, it is not that Nigeria does not undertake agricultural exports. Nigeria, for instance, does a huge annual £7bn trade with the United Kingdom, £3bn originating from Nigeria where agrifood commodities represent 45% of the commodity exports.

In spite, the 45% agrifood composition just represents 0.4% of the value of the £3bn trade. A major reason for this is that bulk of the Nigerian exports were in raw form and/or raw materials and mineral fuel and related others took more proportional value.

This is what we observe of Nigeria-France trade with soybean meal (raw material) representing the only agricultural produce and crude petroleum taking the lion share of the export pie.

This whole scenario depicts on a broader scale what is of Nigeria’s trade with Western nations (European and US) and is also true for Africa.

For instance, the global cocoa value chain market is worth over $150bn with West Africa accounting for 70% global cocoa production, but while the region supplies bulk of the cocoa used in the world her share of the global cocoa value chain market is just 13%.

West Africa as whole and being the globe’s cocoa production hub realizes in export returns less than $6bn whereas Germany that does not produce cocoa and as a country earns more than $10bn.

A leading reason for this is not unconnected from what we have seen with Nigeria –selling cocoa as mere beans while rich importing nations incorporates value addition, processing into chocolate and other valuable products commanding higher prices.

Why Nigeria and Africa continue to operate this way baffled me and still baffles me, and it was indeed why I held the discourse on foreign influence on the nation, its manufacturing ability and agriculture potential, the impact such interference had on the nation and continues to have at present, the new forms and the structure preserving the skewed order.

We did recognize that there are domestic factors that limit the potential of the nature and pursuing trade routes that yield better and more outcome for the nation but, however, that there were/are external factors (and which even spur, direct and strengthen domestic factors) that impede and sabotage the possibilities of the nation and continent.

Here we talked about the direct exploitation of human and material resources in the name of slavery and theft. The transition to indentured servitude and colonialism with systematic destruction and demotion of manufacturing of high-quality goods and production of value added products in colony states to consumption of and dependence on inferior foreign goods and production of raw materials. Also is the preservation and instutionalization of skewed trade, raw material supply and agricultural value chains dynamics with predatory lending, debt-loading, bureaucratic gates, political and economic measures, hereditary democracy and strategic placement of stooges.

Thus, when France seeks a ‘renewed’ bilateral relationship and after virtually none on agriculture, we must ask why, what it really wants, why now, and if it would really amount to anything significant judging by its history and present state of affairs.   

It is important to remind that France was one of the seven western European nations that undertook the great ‘scramble for Africa’ partitioning the continent into segments for colonization (an evolved exploitation machinery established after slavery and forceful labour saw rebuke) and also instituted both formal and informal imperialisms and neocolonialism to sustain manipulated commerce, power sphere and Francafrique.

The French never left fully even after independence, covertly and overtly interfering with political, social and economic processes with liberal interventionism, cultural engineering and economic schemes usurping the financial system of the Francophone African nations, pegging their currency to Euro and their foreign reserve deposited in the French treasure in the guise of assistance with proper administration for a strong and stable financial system while raking in humongous profit and giving back peanut aid, this by itself a neocolonialism structure.

Paris in the past sought expansionist ambition to grow their wealth and also rival other European nations in the trade of sugar, tobacco, rubber, gold, diamond and some other cash crops and valuable precious resources, thus established their primary production hub in the colonies for exploitation to supply French-owned processing companies in French Africa and Paris for the benefits of France and French capitalists. 

While establishing local production appears good for the former colonies, it only demoted them to and ensured their permanent position in the manufacturing role along the value chains.    

This position and a consistent supply of those materials and at cheaper cost is being maintained today by an imperial constitution of France’s unfettered right to access resources and raw materials in previous colonies, a pegged currency, currency arbitrage, amalgamation of financial systems, deliberate bureaucracy with exportation of value-added products of colonial masters’ interest, and soft power pressure.

France had been involved in unrests and coups in French Africa removing leaders and destabilizing the region to assert dominance and exploit strategic interests. It led NATO into French North Africa, Lybia to remove Gaddafi, supported by the United States and United Kingdom, a tool from the old play book western nations setting aside their differences and aligning forces abroad and in colony against a common enemy and/or in pursing common interest, for instance against the Soviets and like we currently see against Russia in French West and Equatorial Africa.  

The destabilization of Libya paved way for escalation of conflicts, emergence of insurgents and them emboldened, the proliferation of arms and spread of terrorism across Sub-Saharan Africa, leaving behind fierce contest for resources, destruction of or rending unfit for production cultivable lands, and hunger, malnutrition, poverty and deaths.

It is a major reason for the sharp rise of insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria after the Libyan regime change with insurgents and arms finding way into the nation through neigbouring countries as Chad and Niger.

This has wreaked havoc on the nation’s food production capability with seize of arable lands, destruction and theft of farm produces and investments, displacement and maiming of rural inhabitants and farmers, and disruption of economic activities and supply chains with frequent unrests, tolls and levies.

Insecurity has been reported to be responsible for 50% of Nigeria’s food insecurity. About 100,000 people have been killed, many of them farmer, to insecurity in the Northern Nigeria from 2011 to 2023 in the administration of former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari. This led to many farmers fleeing their farms and abandoning production and which widened supply-demand gap.

It then begs the question why go into a more cordial relationship and that would involve sharing intelligence and establishment of naval base with a nation that has history of engineering schemes instigating unrest, sabotaging economies and food systems that directly and indirectly affect you or an arrangement that may not benefit you judging by the history of your trade with them wrapped around supply of raw materials and not value-added products?

It is important to remind again that France had been fingered in fomenting state dissolution efforts in Nigeria backing separatist groups. Could this renewed arrangement enable such treasonous cause?

It is important to remind that France recently has been booted out by former colonies, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso with the same sentiment of tie severance spreading across Francophone African countries.

We must ask that why is France being sent parking from these countries, also that if other countries are distancing themselves from France why are we drawing her closer, and that what exactly does France want from Nigeria this time that it coincides with when it is being chased away from French Africa or why the sudden relationship with Nigeria now?

About 70% of France’s energy source comes from nuclear energy. 19% of the uranium required to power the nuclear plants comes from Niger. Paris’ energy security appears threatened with the kick-out of France by Niger.

It is worth mentioning that Niger which supplies France with bulk of the materials to generate power suffers blackouts in several homes to inability to fully utilize domestic energy generating resources for the benefit of self. It informs on the issue among many others that could be fuelling tension between French Africa and France.

This could be one of the reasons France looks toward Nigeria, rich in oil, gas deposits and agricultural commodities that it is being presently deprived of and important for the proper functioning of her economy.

The Russian gas and Russia and Ukraine grains are not coming anymore or as they use to with the expansion of NATO eastward and Ukraine’s plan to join NATO contravening agreements and an attending direct war (Russia-Ukraine) and proxy war (West vs. Russia/Soviet/East) straining political ties and cutting gas and grain supply that have triggered elevated cost of gas, manufacturing and food in Europe.

It is however understood that even while France and other countries in Europe suffer supply chains effect of Russia’s austere measures, some European countries could be gaining from such disruption and may have manipulated the supply chains.

For instance, the grain production capability of Ukraine drastically declined to the war, with France although known to be producer of grains but now and with the United States, Canada and Australia encroached supply gap left open by Ukraine’s declined and now replacing Ukraine’s export to countries dependent on Ukraine for about 50% of their grain needs. Also, these country that took over Ukraine trade Russia inclusive, have moved up in production scale. It is reported that these major producers not only boost their capacity to produce more grains with supply gap but also risen price of grains.

There is also another gas supply arrangement where the US now feeds Europe with gas and at higher cost as against from Russia.

However, back to the discussion, could it be that France’s newly pursued relationship with Nigeria is of neocolonialism playbook to find subtle, other means to preserve the order of things and/or find new host to ensure continuous flow of resources to keep the French (western) capitalism machinery running which is ever-expanding and consistently in need of resources which without would implode and collapse?   

It should be recollected that the President of Nigeria, Tinubu wrote to the Senate seeking military intervention in Niger and tried to lobby ECOWAS to restore normalcy in Francophones and stem the wave of ties severance with France. 

It would be naïve to think Nigeria wanting to invade Niger does not have the hand of France and those of other western nations not only wanting to ensure raw materials and energy security but also counter a growing Russian influence and that Nigeria does not have interests dependent on normalcy and stability in Niger and neigbouring countries around Niger.

Nigeria thus has an ambitious $13bn Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project that would run through French Africa (Niger, Algeria and Tunisia accordingly) to Europe through Italy that promises gas alternative for Europe seeking alternative energy source in Africa to replace Russian gas, which a coup in Niger of a government friendly to France and ties severance with France, a strengthening of relationship between Niger and Russia and a gas development project between both threaten.     

It becomes evident Africa would increasingly become hotbed of geopolitical strategic game with worsening global energy security and changing power dynamics and with Nigeria having more role to play.   

Hence, while it is important to ask what France really wants with a renewed relationship with Nigeria, it also important to ask what is in the agreement of the Nigerian government with France, whether Nigeria understands what is unfolding, if it would seek better arrangement that benefits itself and the African continent, and how it would maneuver the great game of influence and power dynamics where it must play and under the influence of soft power.   

Perhaps the $80bn agriculture and $200bn agrifood industry value of the trade partner is worth it and Nigeria would seek arrangement of trade that are fair and embodies high valuable products beneficial for both countries.

It is in our hope that Nigeria does not become an exploitation ground and also a Launchpad for the exploitation of other African countries by external political actors who are self-interested and do not mean good for the nation and continent, and that those in charge of the nation’s affairs do not become stooges and take actions that would catalyse tension within the country, inter-nations and across the continent regressing Nigeria and Africa and having them in the clenched fist of the imperialists.

With the worsened food inflation, virtually all protein sources are now costly and not readily accessible.

We do not see the full implication of this. It’s a scary one. And the end result might just be a useful one to some people, suggesting the inflation (with some drivers influenceable) could be intentionally driven, but eventually is bad for everyone.

When I wrote an article about the opportunities in the fish industry Where will you be? I touted fish as a high-quality protein source, unusually affordable, readily accessible, that can help meet the nation’s rapidly growing protein needs, demands.

It made every sense to explore alternative sources since milk became expensive with a technical ban on milk importation and with insecurity, herders-farmers conflict, beef saw a sharp price increase too. Egg and chicken were also affected.

But while I wrote that article, I had worried if fish would not follow the same route with economic effects spilling from those events.

In the article I emphasized catfish as a possible alternative. It’s easy to raise in captivity. The fish species grow very fast and it gives many offspring.

People were increasingly rearing it for these reasons. A good development for a fast-growing population with increasing protein needs and demands.

Sadly, the same fate would meet it. Insecurity, Naira losing value, and inflation drove the price of catfish feed up, which reflected on the retail end. A kg of (1kg size & above) live catfish went from ₦750 to about ₦1,200.

A 60% increase in less than a year. Farmers are now leaving the sector in numbers.

This is that people are being forced to limit, and in extreme cases skip, protein in/from their diets and for their households when all available protein sources have become expensive.

But this implication won’t just be hunger or stunted growth for many. It’s going to be raging chaos, a dysfunctional society, and sabotage on the future of the nation.

While more people will surely join the over 26 million undernourished Nigerians, there’s a scarier consequence.

It’s no news that the nation’s populace is comprised mostly of young people (about 70%). Knowing the break down of this demographic is important.

The age groups 0-14yrs and 15-24yrs form 41.7% and 20.2% respectively (that is, 61.9% in total) of the above 70%.

While these two age categories require protein, it’s critical for the 0-14yrs age bracket which happens to form (about 60 million) the bulk of the young population. Protein is required for them (and for the latter age range) for both proper mental and physical development.

The true implication of all this then is, should these depressing trends continue, we will be raising and should be expecting in 4 or more/lesser years to come, a teeming population of young Nigerians that are mentally and physically stunted and challenged, unable to think upright and for themselves.

It’s important to note -and even makes matters worst -that of the age demographic focused on, 2.5 million of them already battle severe, acute malnutrition, and 41% of the children under the age of 5 are affected by protein-energy malnutrition.

And with the all-around growth and developmental retardation, these youngsters would be useful for politics. When the lower age demographic reaches 18 and are able to vote -and even the other age category, in their challenged state -they are easy to be manipulated, used to score political points, and their mandates stolen with handouts.

We have seen many cases abound in the country where poverty and hunger are wielded as political tools. A carrot-stick approach.

But the end result, as we are seeing in this present time, won’t be any different and could be even worse -a raging mass of young people having nothing to lose and think of, erupting violence and all manners of chaos with no heed to whom turned them so, if not they even consume them.

These young people won’t be able to carry on the next generation just as those above 18yrs who form the remaining part of the young population have been subjugated mentally and physically to be capable of.

At the end of it all, the most painful part will be that the driver of it all is man-made; we made it ourselves. We could talk of covid-19 and climate change effects on the agri-food system, the economy, and in exacerbating insecurity.

But we can’t excuse our ineffective response to them. And the mismanagement of the economy, the insecurity left to fester, misdirected policies, corruption, terrible politics are more a cause and driver.

I have made a video on DIY bottle irrigation. Here is a link to the video. You should watch it alongside this article as it helps to understand more about the innovation. The video and this article complement each other, but they do have some insight(s) peculiar to each of them. So, I strongly advise you go through both.

Rationale

In urgent need of a way to irrigate the tomatoes I am currently raising I stumbled upon DIY bottle irrigation searching the internet for irrigation ideas.

Drip irrigation (best for tomato) wasn’t an option as it was costly and also that, I was only doing a small tomato project which the benefit to cost for such infrastructural investment was small.

Another issue’s that, the tomato plant is one delicate crop that gets stressed with little or excess water condition; it requires water in the right quantity and timely.

So, the irrigation method I would settle for would check and embody being affordable, effective, efficient, and sustainable

The DIY bottle irrigation qualified on all of these –I could cheaply source bottles around, and when the bottles are filled water drips as needed to suffice the plants for 2 to 3 days.

However, soon as I started, I realised some basics, laws have to be adhered.

Failing on these, many times the irrigation water just gets wasted from evaporation or bottle falling over.

Other times the bottles don’t drain at all or, get clogged.

Eventually, with research and frequent experimentation I found a perfect way out and combination.

With my predicament on DIY bottle irrigation –and people asking me how to go about it when I posted a video of my tomato project run on the innovation –I made it a thing to write explaining the fundamentals of this initiative.

What the write-up will be about

But this write up would go beyond the basics and touch on bottle selection detailing pros and cons of some preferred bottles, and also unusual insights that could be beneficial.

The fundamentals to stick to:

1.      Thick neck bottle as Mike Tyson’s

Yeah you read that right. This is the first and one of the most basic things to watch out for and ensure when selecting a bottle for this irrigation style.

I used the headline above as analogy because it relates.

Having a thick neck is often advised in the boxing world because when the head receives blows, it’s the neck that holds it in place from wobbling and to stay alert.

And Mike Tyson, the legendary boxer, was known for his thick neck.

In a similar manner, when you drive a bottle upside down via the mouth into the soil, it is the neck that gives the bottle firm grip from wobbling and even falling over when hit by wind, rain, or animals.

But you could think there would be no need for such if the bottle is placed in erect vertical position relieving the neck region of pressure or duty of holding the bottle in position.

However, there’s more to this than is said here and the other benefits of this are discussed in the next point of this section.

So, basically, you want to get a bottle as the image below -a regular energy drink bottle extruded for thickness.

2.      Long neck bottle to avoid bottlenecks

Getting a thick neck bottle isn’t enough, the neck being long is also important (see image 1).

This is that the whole neck region would go into the soil and thus give more grip to the bottle and in holding firm its content to still drip even with disturbance.

Nonetheless, that’s not all to it with the advantage of a long neck bottle.

Since this type of bottle penetrates deep into the soil, it supplies water directly to the root in the way and where it is needed.

No stress for the root finding its way to where the water is.

However, this merit may not be realised if the plant is still young with the roots not fully established and just at topsoil level to access water below in the soil profile.

Even, a long neck bottle and its pro aren’t a guarantee when the bottle hasn’t been punctured appropriately to drip as required. The next subheading addresses this.

3.      Get the drip hole right

This is the most fundamental part of the bottle drip irrigation. Other features checked but the bottle failing to drip or drips inaccurately (too slow or fast) renders the whole concept ineffective.

The irrigation set in motion there’s tendency that the drip hole would get clogged with soil particles able to go into the bottle via the bottle cover hole.

And most times it is not about how big or small the drip hole is that enables dripping or clogging of drip hole.

Even, soil particles may not clog the hole and weeds do that instead, growing out the hole taking advantage of cheap water.

Other times, the clogging is done by external particles entering through the water in-let side of the bottle (check image 2).

What I would advice here, after making a hole with a medium size nail, is to pass a thick thread in proportion of and through the drip hole. Hence, other than water leaving the bottle by dripping it does by osmosis.

And one added advantage of passing thread through the cover hole than just leaving it bare is that, water is regulated.

With osmosis water moves from a place having less water affinity and is filled with water to a dry area. Once the dry area becomes wet (saturated) and as the former area, water movement ceases.

But this may not be the case for a bottle with bare cover hole and water could overflow, causing waterlogged condition and with water wasted.

4.      Use a big size bottle

A big bottle would help to hold and provide more water and over a good period of time (2 to 3 days) for grown crops.

But the problem is that big size bottles seldom come in a long neck.

And with this there’s likelihood of bottle tipping over when placed in the soil, but still works when erected upright and/or with support.

The exception is glass bottles –for instance, a regular wine bottle –with a huge size and a long neck.

But there haven’t been use cases of them for DIY irrigation, understandable with their complex nature in comparison to plastic bottles.

Nonetheless, this is just one of the merits of a big size bottle. The other is of draining benefit explained in the below.

5.      Embrace gravity and even more, inclined angle

The bigger the mass of an object the heavier the weight will be when acted upon by gravity.

Also, the heavier the weight the more the tendency the object will fall to the earth surface when suspended in air, as gravity acts on the mass.

Now, using a big bottle would help to seize gravity’s advantage. The bottle filled, both the mass of the water and gravity, act downwardly on the water (image below gives illustration).

This improves draining and helps to unclog drain area with force in a case where a thread isn’t passed through cover hole.

Even, since the bottle is taller, gravity acts more on it and its content as gravity pushes object back to the earth’s surface, and it acts more on taller object trying to defy it.

Inclined angle should be embraced too to complement gravity. This simply means placing the bottle in a slant position (as image above) to enable water flow.

You know how water would run off easily and steadily on an inclined plane than on a horizontal plane or too fast left to drip in a vertically placed bottle.

6.      How you cut the water inlet matters

There are two ways to this and both have their pros and cons.

You either cut almost open the base of the bottle that would serve as the inlet such that the lid doesn’t return to its initial position, or that you cut in a way the lid can always go back to its previous position.

The former ensures that when it rains the bottle, with its lead open, can store rainwater and be channeled to irrigate the plants.

However, the downside is that particles from the surroundings get to enter the bottle which may go the block the drip region. Water loss to evaporation is the other con.

The other method is just opposite; it prevents dirt from the environment entering the bottle and also evaporation, but can’t store water when it rains as it is self-closing.

It also prevents pest which may be harmful to the plants require water to multiply from breeding in the bottles.

Unusual insights

1.      There’s a plus with soda drink bottle

I advise using soda drink for two reasons –one based on fact and the other based on assumption but could still be tried out.

One is used soda bottles often contain leftover sugar and this encourages the presence and activities of beneficial insects and microbes in the soil.

The insects in their moving around and burrowing while feeding on the sugar improve soil aeration, water percolation and physical properties of the soil with holes made and their movement.

The microbes breaking the leftover sugar help to improve the fertility of the soil releasing important nutrients and balancing soil PH.

2.      Coloured bottle could be beneficial

The other merit which I’ve observed has to do with bottles that are coloured.

I noticed that the tomatoes, 6 of 10, I’ve grown beside coloured bottles particularly of red, blue, green did well.

Light in the spectrum of the photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) containing the blue, red, green light wavelengths are important for plant growth and development.

I suspect the red, blue and green bottles act like as a film screen, filtering light into the light wavelengths important for plants to thrive.

I believe when the visible light spectrum from the sun hit these bottles, they are re-emitted into blue, red and green light wavelengths of the PAR spectrum.

However, if this is true, there can be a disadvantage because, each of those light ranges has their own function for plants and plants require them differently, either solely or as a combination, in intensity and period at different stages of growth and development.

And this potentially could explain why some of my tomatoes didn’t do well beside the discussed bottles thought to be beneficial.

Moreover, if this observation is plausible, then plants could be victim to light wavelengths that have been observed to induce stress in them, like the yellow/orange light spectrum.

In addition, plants would eventually outgrow the bottle which limits realisation of the assumed advantage.

Other benefits of DIY bottle irrigation

1. It used in/aids fertiliser application, as fertiliser can be placed in the irrigation water which dissolves slowly and then is delivered in little doses and in absorbable form, lowering risks of toxicity.
2. It can help to determine water level in soil, as when the soil is saturated water flows back into the bottle which gives an indication of water level.
3. Can serve as rainguage when the bottle is calibrated and the the lid open. After rain you could have a rough estimate of the amount of rainfall for the raining period.

Precautions

1.      Use clean bottle always

Irrigation medium is as important as growing medium. One wants to ensure clean and hygienic bottle so as not to introduce harmful microbes to the plants.

2.      Use clean, clear water

Clean irrigation water is even more important. Some plant diseases are waterborne hence using unclean water could do more harm.

End note:

An operational bottle you would want to use would have a long neck, be of huge size, and could be also coloured to potentially benefit from the discussed assumed benefit. It should also embody the water outlet equipped with a thread, the inlet cut out to be self-closing preventing evaporation and dirt accumulation that would clog drain region.

All these indicators then point to the fact that the fisheries sector, one which consistently forms 3-5% of the total contribution of the agriculture sector (between 20-40%) to the national GDP and with an expanding industrial base of a growing economy demanding more of fish by-products, where average GDP per capita reaches $4,000 pushing purchasing power up, will see tremendous growth into the nearest future.

Note: This article was first published on LinkedIn, March 8, 2020.

Circumstances in Nigeria today and around the world present the Nigerian fisheries sector opportunities to see massive growth, to undertake rewarding heroic cause, and also make it a very good place for investment under agriculture than any other time in the history of Nigeria. Here are four reasons to believe this:

1. The current domestic demand for fish in Nigeria is on the high side at 3.32 million metric tonnes with the nation’s capacity of 1.123 million MT unable to satisfy the demand.

Consequently, Nigeria spends nearly USD 1 billion annually on importation to fill the demand-supply 2.197m deficit, earning her the largest fish importer of the developing world.

This is that the nation having spent an estimated ₦125 billion on fish importation in 2015, seeking to boost her fish production capacity in tandem with the goal to achieve food sufficiency, in the following year disbursed through its Central Bank in conjunction with a domestic financial institution, Heritage Bank, a 2 billion long-term loan which the aquaculture company, Triton Farm, seized to erect a 25,000 MT aquaculture facility.

It makes it evident measures -and even policies -are being put in place to ensure the country reaches food sufficiency level.

Presently the federal government, technically, has banned the importation of food that can be produced in the country by cutting special forex rate that aids their importation in an effort to encourage and foster local food production. The fisheries sector, one very much affected by importation, is expected to benefit immensely from this step.

A huge demand-supply gap, hungry market, entrance ease, coupled with favourable policies and business environment hence offer highly rewarding opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors.   

2. Nigeria’s population has been growing at its fastest, at a rate of 2.6% yearly (although now decelerating), currently 200 million and is expected to double its present state by 2050.

The population is a young one with a median age of 18.1 years. By the end of 2020, 62.9% of this population would be in the age range of 0-24 years.

Aside the concerns of feeding sustainably the overall fast-growing population with the needed food calorie for a vibrant nation, providing the required protein and nutrients in their recommended daily allowance for a teeming young population to enable their proper development and a thriving future generation is another concern for the nation.

For a rapidly growing population whose average per capita protein intake (51.7g) is lower than the FAO’s 60g per person minimum recommendations and with 50% of it extremely poor to access required food protein, fish with its affordable nature and yet high-quality protein provides a readily available energy-protein, animal source, to sustain the projected population size and demographic.

It already accounts for 35-40% of animal protein in the country and nearly 75% in rural region having highest incidence of people living in hunger and poverty.

The demand for fish (protein) in the nation, above 2 million MT, is bound to grow bigger, opening up opportunities for investment and more participation in the sector.    

3. In Nigeria today, there are over 26 million undernourished people (World Bank Development Indicator, latest estimates 2018). Also, about 2.5 million Nigerian children battle severe, acute malnutrition.

41% of the nation’s children under the age of 5 is affected by protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), a malnutrition disorder which occurs due to inadequate calorie and protein intake. Two important forms of PEM are kwashiorkor and Marasmus.

Fish containing a wide variety of nutrients -minerals, vitamins, fat, carbohydrate, water, protein -forms adequate meal/food supplement to prevent and cure PEM.

Fish protein contains essential amino acids (Lysine, Leucine, Valine and Arginine), it is a good source of fat-soluble vitamins (B complex), water soluble vitamins (A, D & E) and also other macro and trace nutrients (Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Iodine & Selenium), all vital for proper development and functioning.

It is no surprise the body UNICEF has been experimenting and encouraging in the developing world, substitution of costly milk protein for cheaper and effective alternatives like fish in Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).

Already, the Federal Government of Nigeria had been tackling malnutrition, disbursing in 2019 USD 1.8 billion for RUTF, and with UNICEF support.

With increasing prevalence of malnutrition, selective forex for milk importation feeding into hike in milk price, and (necessitating) more inclusion of fish protein in RUTF, demand for fish is expected to climb where the fisheries sector drives the moral cause to end malnutrition.

4. Overnutrition is increasingly a common problem in the world and not just in the developed economies where food is surplus, but also in developing countries facing food insecurity.

Nigeria for instance, a nation having 13.4% of her population undernourished, is blighted with obesity epidemic 8.9% prevalence among adults where it takes a gender turn, affecting 25% of women.

In addition, across the world (the WHO monitoring overnutrition), obesity prevalence among adults is reported to be on the rise with half a billion of them obese and over 1.9 billion adults of age 18 and above, overweight; 42 million children under the age of 5 have been classified overweight or obese.

These dangerous statistics bring concern on poor food choices causing health issues like obesity which in turn aggravates serious heart related problems as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases.

There is thus a move towards healthier food options in the world -not just access to food but to a balanced, nutritious one -as reinforced by the SDGs and FAO definition of food security.

With fish rich in healthy fat having omega 3 fatty acid, low in cholesterol and available in a readily absorbable form that prevents the risk of heart-related diseases, fish diets/ingredients are increasingly seen as better alternatives where policies are being tailored to ensure their incorporation in meals and drugs (e.g. Omega-3 supplement).

This encourages investment in the domestic fisheries sector and with opportunities for trade with, export to countries aligned in said policies.

Therefore...if you are wondering where to be in the nation's agriculture sector, that promises a hungry market and a good return on investment, with statistics and projections presented so far it makes sense the fisheries sector definitely is the place to be and with catfish part of the aquaculture sub-sector the best destination.

All these indicators then point to the fact that the fisheries sector, one which consistently forms 3-5% of the total contribution of the agriculture sector (between 20-40%) to the national GDP and with an expanding industrial base of a growing economy (averaging 2% growth rate annually), the largest in Africa, demanding more of fish (raw materials and by-products for glue, cream, oil, drug etc. making) where average GDP per capita reaches USD 4,000 pushing purchasing power up, will see tremendous growth into the nearest future. 

Nonetheless, while the fisheries sector is presented with such opportunities, the fish culture aspect of it will be the main driver to utilise these opportunities and yield returns.

Fish culture was not only the game changer in the sector, it made possible the increase availability of select-fishes available for various special purposes today without sustainability and environmental issues.

Across the world the practice of fish capture in water bodies has been stagnating (see Fig 1) and even declining in some regions, owing to issues of fish scarcity with catching frequency exceeding population regeneration level, environmental degradation and climate change, and consequently, with government regulations.

Fish culture made it possible to grow to maturity, the same fish species in artificial water containment and even in greater numbers, faster and sustainably.

Also, when fish culture is being talked about, catfish rearing is the single most important activity that has made fish culture increasingly common and readily practiced today in this part of the world.

It is not only because catfish delicacy is highly sought for its palatability and healthy, beneficial properties and uses, but also for reasons of its ease of production, rapid maturity, high fecundity, adaptability and profitability compared to other fishes.

Fish culture is the fastest growing livestock production in Nigeria where catfish aquaculture part of it has grown, more than any other sub-sector of the fish culture unit, by 721% between 2001 and 2015 from 19,518 tonnes to 160,295 tonnes [data presented is for only African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), and was reached from a 2001-2012 time-frame rare assessment of catfish aquaculture in Nigeria by the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources, African Union, and of a 2016 report on Nigeria Catfish Industry by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (see Fig 2)], which forms half the nation’s overall 316,727 tonnes aquaculture by volume. With addition of the production of other catfish hybrids overtime, catfish’s total contribution to the Nigerian aquaculture sector rises to 80-90%.

Therefore [to answer the question posed in the beginning of this article] if you are wondering where to be in the nation’s agriculture sector, that promises a hungry market and a good return on investment, with the statistics and projections presented so far it makes sense the fisheries sector definitely is the place to be and with the catfish part of the aquaculture sub-sector the best destination.

Catfish industry contribution to the economy has not only been in the form of providing needed food, protein for food security, raw materials to catalyse industries, but also generating employments, revenue and foreign earnings for government and income for farmers.

Based on the 2016 FAO’s catfish production figure (adapting metric of the earlier AU-IBAR report where every catfish production tonne generates an employment) jobs created by catfish sector (for African catfish) equals approximately 200,000, more than 300,000 jobs considering other hybrid species and would have leveled 1 million today (adjusting for growth overtime).

In the same report, the sector saw a USD 1.3 billion domestic earning, where value-added products of the fish destined for international markets constituted 7% of the estimated USD 284,390 million total fish exports earnings.

Engaging in the sector is thus contributing to the growth and development of the country. What then are the lucrative aspects of the industry that can be invested?

There are three distinct part of catfish aquaculture across the value chain:

1. Breeding:

This involves the breeding of catfish fish seed stock (from eggs to fries, fingerlings, juveniles and even post-juveniles) for grow-outs production.

It is usually done in a hatchery, where catfish brood stocks are artificially induced with hormones to produce eggs.

There is a huge demand-supply gap for catfish fingerlings in Nigeria. There exist in the nation a demand of more than 4.3 billion. Only 55.8 million of this is being met. This provides opportunity for investments, and with good returns.

Under ideal conditions a good brood stock can give up to 60,000 eggs/kg where survival rate to fingerlings can be 75% with standard and properly managed nursery system.

Fingerling is sold for ₦15 while post-fingerling ₦20. Thus if 45,000 fingerlings or post-fingerlings survive from 60,000 eggs, that is ₦675,000 or ₦900,000 returns respectively, in the expectation that cost of production would be subtracted.

The extent to which one profits then depends on the capacity to which one can produce, successfully manage production, and also access market.

2. Production:

It entails the raising of fingerlings, juveniles, post-juveniles -whichever of them one decides to start with -to maturity.

There are different mediums for intensive production; earthen pond, concrete pond, with other innovative ponds; plastic pond, metallic pond and concrete pond.

All support catfish rearing till maturity, but the earthen pond offers a natural habitat advantage which enables catfish attain exceptional sizes and weights, although with its own cons too.

Catfish reaches table size in 4-6 months when well fed with the needed, quality feed. In this time period, with proper feed and favourable conditions they attain a weight range between 0.5kg to 2kg.

Catfish is sold in range of ₦500-₦800/kg (varies with location). A 1000-stock with 10% mortality attaining an average weight of 1.5 kg each would yield at ₦650 mean price, ₦877,500 (that is, 900 x 1.5kg x ₦650).

The main costs here are feeding and pond construction, where new pond is built. As for breeding, production profitability also is dependent on capacity of production and to access market and in addition, cost expended on feeding.

Catfish raised in Tarpaulin Pond, ready for market

Credit: Iceberg Agricultural Consult Ltd

3. Value addition:

This is the process of adding value to catfish through processing, preservation, addition of flavours and other beneficial nutrients, and packaging.

It helps to command good price in the market and even access a high paying market.

Also, it extends the shelf life of catfish produce and, with quality preservation and enhancement, allow for accessing foreign markets.

The key processes are degutting, filleting, washing, salting, cutting into preferred sizes or folding into a round shape and smoking by oven, adding special nutrients which could also be preservatives but edible, and then packaging.

The value-added catfish products are sold at retail outlets, food stores, even on online retail stores, where collection points are around the country.

A kg of packaged smoked catfish can go as high as ₦4,500 (6-9 times price for the same kg of live fish, although it would take more of the latter to reach the same kg, result of weight loss to smoking).

Moreover, there are huge untapped markets abroad, in China, Europe and USA; however, required high quality standards are to be adhered to.

Smoked catfish’s price in the international market is between USD 30 and 40/kg. It is reported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation that smoked and dried fishes with retail value of about USD 20 million are exported to the United Kingdom annually from West Africa and of the 500 tonnes equivalent, Nigeria accounts for one-eight.

Despite the high demand for catfish delicacies, the profitability and the ease of engaging in any of the three distinct stages of catfish value chain, many people who have gone into production still encountered failure and/or have struggled to break-even and have left business. Two factors top reasons for this:

1. Market/Marketing:

A lot of people who enter catfish value chain do not make market well informed decisions, they simply follow trend of what is in vogue or listen to hearsay of how a particular part of catfish production is lucrative and then commit to production.

While there may be demand for catfish everywhere in the country, the level of demand and even need might not necessary be the same for different regions; even a market with good demand might require different strategies.

Imagine joining a market that has a good demand for catfish but where enough research was not done to realise there are already many primary producers with established markets and high entry barrier, whose aggregated produce causes glut and force down price.

If enough market research were done, the best decision would be to produce what differentiates one from the other producers -perhaps focusing on processing one’s catfish and targeting high end customers like food stores.

Even when one still wants to be involved in primary production, with the understanding of a saturated market rather than selling to final consumers like the competitors, one would know to find different customers and even high paying ones like restaurants, hotels, schools.

Thus, when production decision is not market-led the producer with no reliable market is left to sell at lower prices, leave fishes in the pond while they are still being fed, or left to die and money burn/investment waste. The bottom line is, many people do not bother to know their market in-depth, analyze it and, on that basis, decide what to produce, what strategy to deploy, and have their market before production. 

2. Professional knowledge and Management skills

In-depth knowledge that has to do with everything about catfish value chain or the part of the value chain one is interested in is very important for the success of the envisaged venture.

For instance, for catfish grow outs, knowledge of the different growing mediums to be able to select the best, where to site the fishpond, the requirements (water quality, stocking density) is vital.

Also important is the knowing of the best fish seed stock to use for production, the daily activities and occasional maintenance, the required and best feeds and practices.

Knowledge of all this allow for a successful raising of catfish from fingerlings to table size with little mortality.

Many people have unknowingly procured and raised runts/bad stocks that do not grow or take time to grow while feeds are being wasted on them, have raised catfish in the wrong medium, stocking density, conditions and have realised high mortality. 

Or imagine starting a hatchery business with little or zero knowledge about it where mortality rate at the early lives (as fries) of catfish is up to 80% and sometimes 100% if care is not taken. Or processing and packaging catfish for export with inadequate grasp of the value addition processes and the quality standard required for exporting.

The United States on March 1st, 2018, banned smoked catfish export from Nigeria for the breach of the required certification standard. 40% of smoked fish export from Africa to US and EU are detained, confiscated or returned due to this reason, which is a massive loss on investment made.

Thus, it is very important before engaging in any stage of catfish value chain to first make effort to gain the necessary knowledge and skills –they can be gained from farms of those already practicing -so as to enable a smooth operation and ensure profit on investment to be made.

Getting seeds to germinate faster is important to reaching an early harvest. Also, if you can germinate seeds faster within in a specified period, then you can rapidly germinate seeds uniformly. The result is that you not only reach an early harvest but also a uniform harvest.

Germinating seeds faster helps to expedite production phase and in effective planning and decision making and with efficient input use.

When crops undergo uniform growth and development, they can be collectively managed and given resources at the same time throughout their lifecycle, saving time and resources.

Having nursed tomato seeds with different growing mediums, I have observed that tomato seeds tend to germinate faster in coco peat than other mediums -manure rich soil, potting soil, etc.

I have often wondered why so and thus took to observation, investigation and reflection. And to this I have come up with an explanation which gives a possible answer.

Tomato seeds, naturally, come enclosed in a thin outer layer called seed coat (also known as testa). This coat serves to protect the seeds and keep them intact (when they are not/until ready) for germination.

Thus, germination begins when, among other factors constant, the seed coat is broken, allowing oxygen, water in to activate respiration and growth hormones (gibberellins and abscisic acid) respectively, and the radicle (embryonic root)  and plumule (the shoot structure) grow out.

For tomato, seed coat breaking is often accelerated by soaking seeds in water before sowing in growing medium, to scar the seed cell wall by water action (oxidation) which enables water permeate the seed and in time become turgid, rupturing the outer cell wall.

This is done also, unknowingly, as a process, when the seeds are sown in growing medium and wetted. By this way, too, the seed still get soaked since the nursing medium holds water that would eventually soak the seed.

This same process occurs with using coco peat, but I would like to posit, with coco peat, some other factors –sustained oxidative reaction, heightened osmosis, density, water molecules pressure and gravity –cause seed coat to rupture and even faster than -but complement/is aided -by seed-soaking.

Density is the mass to volume ratio of an object. Object with more mass to volume ratio will be dense(r). A coin, for instance, has more mass to volume ratio and is dense.

The common way to know how dense an object is is to place it in water. When denser than water an object will sink to the bottom, put in a jar of water.

Objects, introduced in water, will then sink, submerge, partially submerge, or totally float, in their relative densities to that of water.

In a partially submerged state, an object has a mass (acted upon by gravity culminating into weight) able to displace a certain volume of water.

The downward force from the weight of the object displacing the water body creates an upward and opposite force, thrust, until it equals that exerted by the object, where then the object ceases to descend in the water but instead stabilizes and floats, partially submerged.

This depicts Archimedes Principle and exhibits floatation law. It is what we observe of ship when part of its bottom is under water and the rest (the greater part) of the body above.

Water in its pure form has a density of 1g/ml and is higher than that of tomato seed; hence, the latter would float on the former.

Evidently, there will not be force of densities difference (thrust) acting against tomato seed since it is not submerged in water as its mass is not significant enough to displace some portion of water to yield a counter force (see fig. 1).

However, the case is not the same when coco peat is introduced; but tomato seed in water alone would still undergo osmosis directing its in-taking of water to become soaked, and this process can be more intense in a growing medium of coco peat-water mix.

Sustained Oxidative Reaction:

While osmotic gradient would facilitate the movement of water molecules from pure water into tomato seed, its impervious seed coat will, however, deter the flow and the seed coat needs to be impaired to allow for osmosis.

Micropyle (small opening in seed) could aid water penetration, but when not effective/present then there would be a need to impair the seed coat one way or the other.

One way this can be done or is being done is through water action on the seed coat. Water has an oxidizing effect on seed coat, altering the nature of the hydrophobic lipid and protein structures that form its membrane (see fig. 2).

This creates crack on the seed coat that water can pass through. With this it enables osmosis.

The water action on the testa even becomes more potent when coco peat is used as nursing medium as it ensures (in its capability to hold and readily release good quantity of water to surrounding hydrophilic object) water is always around the seed coat.

Heightened Osmosis:

Water movement inter-cells/media follows osmosis; it moves from a region of low concentration to a region of high concentration.

It is often advised not to swim for long in salty water, because –with the salt content –the water is more concentrated than our bodily fluid, thus, water will move from one’s body into the surrounding salty water, leaving one dehydrated.

The tomato seed has more osmotic potential than water, and on that basis, water would readily move into it.

But in an only-water medium, osmosis takes place in tomato seed slowly and gradually toward cell turgidity as the seed being less dense than water floats and has only one of its two broad sides touching water. This is different in a coco peat-water mix environment.

In the aforementioned growing medium, sowed into the coco peat mix and covered, the tomato seed has every of its sides exposed to water (action) (see fig. 3 for illustration).

Osmosis then happens through all surfaces of the seed and at constant rate with coco peat supplying seamless water, of its water-holding nature, where more water goes into the seed and making it rapidly turgid, pressuring the seed coat. Density intensifies this pressure.

Density:

Since the tomato seed is held in a submerged state in the coco peat-water mix instead of it floating as it should with its lesser density to water, the seed then come under intense pressure to float which does not happen as it is being held strongly by compactness of coco peat-water mix .

Rather, the part of it –the seed coat –which is not tightly held to the seed and that can peel off with pressure, gives way (consult fig. 4).

It is important to note that the tomato seed has two densities; one, less dense, for its core content (endosperm, cotyledon, embryo held within the inner membrane) and the other, least dense, for the outer wall (seed coat or testa).

It is logical that the least dense part would receive most thrust pressure as it is the part more ready to float and its flexible nature allows it to find its way through the coco peat mix pores to the top, when detached from the inner cell membrane.

Density in action here is actually powerful. If you take time to sow tomato seed in coco peat-water mix, several hours from sowing you would actually see the testa of the seeds on the mix surface and the distinct vertical holes left behind by the testas from rising to the surface, telling of forceful ejection.

Interestingly, these vertical holes aid the easy emergence of the plumule since the plumule will just have to grow through the hole out to the top, unlike in typical soil medium where the plumule has to push its way through dirt to surface.

Additionally, aside density, increased osmosis and attending turgidity, water molecules pressure could have a role in rapid seed coat rupture. (I do not really think water molecule pressure could have much impact. Not that the event is not plausible, but that it might not really occur as to the environmental scenario it is borrowed which happens on a broader scale. Yet, I would give it a shot.)

Water molecules pressure:

It is a commonly held knowledge that the deeper the depth of an ocean, the higher the pressure. Pressure in deep waters is fatal to (non-adapted) animate beings and even some inanimate explorative tools.

The explanation is that water molecules at the bottom have immense pressure mounted on them by several water molecules above them and compounded by gravity (check fig. 5 for more depiction).

Imagine arranging 15 heavy textbooks on one another on a table. When you try to carry all the textbooks together at a go from the bottommost book closer to the table you would realize how heavy it is. But that is the pressure exerted by the 14 other textbooks on the first textbook on the table.

I like to imagine that water molecules above in coco peat-water mix exert pressure on tomato seed sowed to a particular depth in the growing medium.

However, I am not really content with this as, first, tomato seeds are not to be sowed too deep hence when done so germination is impacted; second, the impact of water molecules pressure might not be as significant or plausible as played out in the ocean.

Afterthought:

Seed coat needs to break for germination to occur. Naturally -and with conventional sowing method -soaking ensures this happens. Left to natural or induced seed-scarring, seed coat will break, but gradually overtime.

Coco peat optimizing prevailing actions and forces (oxidation, turgidity, osmosis and attendant cell size increase from embryonic growth) that help to rupture seed coat and enabling other phenomena and actions (density, water molecules pressure, thrust, gravity) fast track the process.

While this informs the importance of coco peat as nursing medium than other media, (I think) it should rather spur thoughts on seizing and applying understandings from it to another medium.

Raising seeds for commercial scale farming would require using tones of coco peats. This in turn would drive emission of greenhouse gases, not directly from using coco peat but from working the earth planting numerous coconut trees to supply husk of coconut for coco peat making.

The tomato seeds rather, could be scarred (in multiples of batches), with water instead, utilizing hydrodynamics and hydrostatic attributes of water and mechanical properties of the seeds and with other forces and reactions as in play with coco peat.

But this would require balancing all the above characteristics, else too much pressure could rupture the seed or a mishap delay germination. Moreover, cell injury which can sometimes be irreparable do occur during imbibition and go on to affect plant throughout lifecycle.

Weather vagaries, attack by pests and diseases are one of the most destructive hinderance to cucumber production.

Growing resistant varieties will get you half-way through.

2. Plant varieties with more female flowers and that are prolific.

The end goal of growing cucumber is for fruits. The more the number of fruits the better.

It’s female flowers that become fruits when fertilised. You want to plant variety that not only produces more female flowers than males flowers, but that produces them more often and with high chances of fertilisation -by self-pollination.

Cucumber flowers have short lifespan, they wilt away when not fertilised.

A prolific variety will produce flowers often and you have to step in to ensure pollination -either by hand-pollination or facilitating the presence of pollinators.

3. Grow when relative humidity is appropriate

Pollen viability is as important as pollen production. If plants don’t produce pollens, fertilisation doesn’t occur but so also when pollens aren’t viable (potent to fertilise the ovary).

Relative humidity affects pollen viability. Too low, pollens dry out. Too high, pollens stick together.

In both cases, pollen ability to fertilise is impaired. Moderate to relative humidity is best for cucumber (60 to >80%).

But hybrid varieties can adapt to (some degree of) changes in relative humidity and it’s better to grow them rather.

4. Make sunlight your ally

Fruit crops are sun-loving. Sunlight energy aids sugar and biomolecules production channeled into fruits. For heavy feeders as cucumbers the process must be constant.

But sunlight also aids transportation of water and nutrients into fruits and to places in plants where they are required for growth and repair functions.

5. Keep to GAPs

Even if you planted resistant varieties you must still keep to GAPs -remember the varieties will only get you half-way through.

Appropriate ventilation must be maintained. Heatstroke from vegetation and cramped space is a problem for cucumber and it births diseases.

You want to ensure adequate spacing that prevents cramping, competition for inputs among plant stands, and breeding of pests and diseases.

6. Moderate water -not little, not in excess.

Too little water will put the plants in survival mode and on acute state lead to wilting, damage to plant organs – many times irreversible -and impacts yield.

Too wet condition could breed root diseases and foster condition for pests and diseases to thrive.

Rather keep to adequate and timely irrigation in drips than excessive watering.

7. Trellise and early,

Trellis allows for cucumber (soon as it’s producing tendrils) to grow quickly and put on vegetation by enabling the plant reach up into the sky setting leaves intercepting sunlight and making foods.

It also aids ventilation promoting setting and arrangement of leaves in different rotation allowing for air circulation and preventing heatstroke and diseases.

Trellising provides support for fruits to grow fully & straight, enabling plant hold firm to bear fruits & and for the fruits to develop fully.

8. Irrigate at the base.

Humid conditions encourage disease build up as disease-causing microbes tend to colonise water droplets formed on leaves and become virulent.

Irrigating at the base helps with this and also ensures water is delivered to needed region.

9. Stick to nutrition recommendation

N,P, K are the basic essential nutrients needed by plants for proper growth and development. But their functions differ and need throughout plant’s lifecycle differ.

One would not want to be supplying nutrient that enables vegetation when plant is fruiting. This is waste.

Of course leaves manufacture foods that are supplied into the fruits.

However, at this stage no need for making new leaves but maintenance of old leaves, reason nitrogen is still required but in lower dose, but now more of phosphorus (for flower initiation and pollen viability), and potassium (enabling translocation of nutrients and manufactured foods).

10. Control diseases by controlling pests

Many times diseases affecting crops are carried by pests. Aphids feed on leaves & secrets honeydew then to be colonised by fungi causing downy mildew.

Most farmers are reactive than proactive when seeking to control diseases.

Tending to address downy mildew when they should aphids.

This may not be the same for other diseases but the message is still the same -to be proactive.

Most diseases don’t just emerge out the blue -they have carriers, precursors.

"...taking the decision to raise local rice production was necessary and a beneficial one today, because how could we have survived/survive in a time of escalating supply chain disruption and rice price...But raising supply alone and pursuing such expecting normalisation of rice price and availability without remedying other influencing factors is like pouring water down a basket expecting it to fill."

Over the weekend I listened to someone rant about how costly food is with the amount a bag of rice is today.

I understand this concern because rice is a staple and a readily accessible energy source, so when it’s costly then there’s a problem.

But this lament gets me thinking how we take parochial solutions to agricultural issues and don’t think outside the box.

The thinking at the helm of affairs is that if rice is costly to go round, then we must produce more.

For reason that, a surplus is expected will force down price. But this economic function takes not into consideration other influencing variables.

Nigeria’s paddy rice volume grew by 18% from 7.1 million metric tonnes to reach 8.4 million metric tonnes in 2022 from 2015 since the reforms of the previous administration.

And despite this, rice price climbed by 230% from ₦10,000 to ₦31,000 within the same period (or by over 500% today).

What we produce satisfies 81% of our 6.4 million metric tonnes rice demand.

It then means that just 61% of our 8.5 million metric tonnes paddy rice gets to the table.

This is low compared to over 67% expected global conversion standards, one realised by some leading rice producing countries.

Our rice production is still mostly done by small scale farmers who employ/and with manual labour and simple implements, where bulk of grains get damaged to crude/poor harvesting, storage, handling, & processing.

20-40% of our rice is wasted over harvest.

Our mechanisation level is suboptimal, and for these 28 million farmers we have just 7,000 functional tractors for coupling implements like harvester let alone processing & storage equipment.

Even, our paddy rice output had declined from a 10.8 million tonnes peak in 2017 and with a lower 48% derived milled rice.

While quantity appears to have improved even when it decreased, milled quality worsened but was higher in 2018 than in 2017 and this is to other driver factors aside post harvest loss.

Rice production increase realised has been largely by expanding acreage, with cultivated area increasing to 5.9 million hectares (ha) in 2018 from 3.1 million ha in 2015.

This is typical of the crops we lead their production -yam, cassava, cowpea, etc.

But the yield/ha for rice averaged 2 tonnes which is 2 to 3 times lower to what is found elsewhere. Also, cultivated area fell to 5.3 million ha in 2020. Thus, the low yield resulted from poor productivity and reduced acreage.

For low yield/ha the lack of or inadequate use of hybrid seeds, fertiliser, herbicide and pesticide to combat the complexity of infertility, climate change, weeds and pests problems disrupting the normal growth of the rice crop are responsible.

The pest Quela bird invaded rice farms last year decimating over 75,000 ha. Rice blast disease capable of a 100% damage resurged in 2019 (dormant since 2014) to wreak havoc same year the nation’s paddy output dropped drastically.

Since the 1950s several rice varieties that are high yielding, disease resistant, nutrient efficient and environment/climate adaptive have been released and yet farmers still suffer of these.

Complaints by farmers from losses to the above do portray their lack of awareness on and an absence of economic power to adopt the production enhancing inputs and good agronomic practices, which portray the inadequacy of extension and the costly nature of agricultural inputs.

This is unsurprising with the low number of extension agents, one having to serve about 10,000 farmers and the risen prices of diesel, gasoline and fertiliser that have significantly impacted cost of running farm machineries where irrigation and procurement of agricultural input have become a problem.

Rice is a fertiliser-intensive crop, and while we have fertiliser plants and with improved output (3 million metric tonnes), the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war disruption of global agricultural input supply chain have affected fertiliser price and supply in Nigeria.

In spite the significant ($121 million) investment in fertiliser increasing fertiliser plants (over 45) and volume through the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI), fertiliser price keeps soaring.

Our plants merely blend and still require nitrogen, phosphate and potash components for fertiliser making, especially from the mentioned countries in conflict, but which are being procured costly for this reason and a heavy importation cost to worsened exchange rate gap.

But the immediate past government claimed it disbursed a ₦1trillion loan in its administration to assist rice farmers. 60% (or 75% according to the IMF) is yet to be paid back.

It was reported that a large majority of the beneficiaries of this facility wasn’t farmers hence the reason for the repayment default. However, even farmers that genuinely benefited from the scheme lamented a harsh economy in which they operated as reason for not being able to pay back.

The discussed rising production cost affects local competitiveness and is in part responsible for the declining hectares of rice production.

The cost of producing rice in Thailand, sending it down to Benin and entering Nigeria is lower than producing rice in Nigeria and dispersing for Nigerians.

Last year, ‘a 1,000kg of paddy needed to produce 12 bags of 50kg rice sold for $470 in Thailand compared to $607.5 in Nigeria’. With the CFA Franc stronger than Naira against the Dollar and Benin with a lower inflation rate than Nigeria, Thailand imported rice would reach Cotonou and cross into Nigeria at lower cost than Nigeria’s rice which would incur additional costs of energy, milling, packaging and transportation, all already impacted by inflation.

With an (unrestricted) open/porous border for dumping of foreign rice farmers are generally demotivated to continue production and rather start importing rice from neighboring countries or move to producing other crops.

This is worsened by farms being flooded, with grains washed off without farmers being adequately assisted or compensated and instead ravaging insecurity having the dogged, remaining farmers killed in numbers where the surviving ones are forced to abandon their farmlands and livelihoods, thus exacerbating supply gap.

The flooding in 2022 claimed ₦700 billion in farm investment. In 2020, 110 rice farmers in Borno were killed by insurgents and 78,000 farmers in the state and other significant food producing states in the north abandoned their farms in fear of terrorism. Economic loss to terrorism in the nation is estimated at $100billion.

Hence, with all these problems rice mills we spent billions to erect would experience paddy scarcity worst being in 2023 with many shutting down, but however supply had hovered around 8 million metric tonnes which could still guarantee 81% of our demand but wouldn’t with the unproductive postharvest factors still at play and paddy exportation to neighboring nations and Europe.

Yes we do export paddy, to Ghana, Botswana, Russia, France, Ireland, and Hungary.

It becomes apparent that the problem we face with rice -and as for other crops and agricultural commodities -is multifaceted and requires a multidimensional solution.

However, taking the decision to raise local rice production was necessary and a beneficial one today, because, how could we have survived/survive in a time of escalating supply chain disruption and rice price, where global rice price point rose by 30% between 2019 and 2023 to a level only seen in the 2008 financial crisis, with covid pandemic, Russia-Ukraine conflict, recurrent  El Niño and La Niña weather effect, Red Sea blockage to Middle East conflict, and the world’s largest rice exporter India cutting its rice exports.

But raising supply alone and pursuing such expecting normalisation of rice price and availability without remedying other influencing factors is like pouring water down a basket expecting it to fill.

It is why I’ve always emphasised putting in charge people who understand the complexities and interconnectedness of these issues and can think different to engineer a sustainable solution.

India placed quota embargo and raised tariff to stem rice exports wanting to satisfy domestic demand with its rice supply impacted by irregular weather pattern. But we are exporting paddy rice when we can barely meet our paddy demands.

Countries choose their nations first. I’m not saying we should ban exporting; in fact, exporting can be a good means of generating foreign earnings (that could help remedy our forex crisis), but that we pursue such from a place of strength and with more focus on exporting value added products. Exportation goal can motivate us to build local capacity, rather.

We export raw cocoa beans, yam, cassava, etc earning little and associated benefits of employment and opportunities than importing nations, even when we are the key producers.

Whatever happened to exporting milled rice, packaged rice of different flavours, rice oil, flour, crisps, cereals, etc?

We can’t determine where farmers sell their produce to, and they will naturally retail to where’s more cost-effective and profitable.

There’s a reason why businesses would choose a stable market of a few buyers but higher purchasing power over a chaotic market of many buyers but low purchasing power.

There’s opportunity within as outside. We spend $1.3billion yearly importing rice. Imagine this money is trapped within.

The supply-demand gap should be seen as opportunity than a problem and should drive our action. Creating enabling business environment and invigorating the economy boosting purchasing power and lowering inflation would attract local producers to serve domestic market and foster economic activities –generating revenues and jobs.

Thus, issues as insecurity making investment landscape volatile must be honestly and thoroughly fixed eradicating the politics of it, because there can’t be food security without security -for (safety of) life, investment, which ensures peace and stability -for food production activities to take place.

Also, fertiliser availability and accessibility can’t be a problem when we’ve got options and can think innovatively. When India’s fertiliser supply from Belarus and Russia was threatened with Russia-Ukraine conflict, the nation sought (more) alternative arrangement with other producing nations like Canada, Israel, and Jordan.

Nigeria can follow India and even establish procurement relationship with neighbouring African states having nitrogen, phosphate and potash deposits. Moreover, we have great stock of natural gas, organic matter remains, and rock deposits rich in these basic elements that can be used in making diverse fertiliser types. What is left is to chart a roadmap.

There is need for significant investment in extension system, its synergy with research bodies, and enabling participation of private bodies so as to raise extension workforce, develop hybrid inputs and ensure product of research reaches farmers. It does not tell well that there are prolific rice varieties but farmers suffer not being able to get hold of them.

Every year our tertiary institutions churn out thousands of extension graduates. We should utilise these people. This way we create employment for them.

Structure extension at local and state levels and equip these graduates to deliver extension service to farmers at community level.

Encourage farmer-to-farmer extension, farmer field school teaching, and simple (mobile) technology incorporation for extension service delivery.

This can help extend information on management of pests, weeds and diseases and adoption of good planting, harvest and postharvest practices for a productive production.

The state must institute stringent border checks and establish regional biosecurity relationship to keep at bay migratory pests and viral diseases, and also establish local forces and incorporate artificial intelligence to monitor pests and diseases population and work with research and extension in spreading awareness and in developing and disseminating preventive guidelines and solutions.

This relationship must also be exploited to mediate the control of dam opening from neigbouring nation, Cameroon that floods farms in Nigeria. Farms shouldn’t be flooded when we struggle to irrigate farms around the country.

How about developing protective measures knowing when flooding would happen based on accumulated data and updated weather investigations? How about also diverting for irrigation and storage for later use making use of existing channels and reservoirs and even fortifying or building new structures when not enough?

Our technical institutions shouldn’t go moribund as they are. Establish their linkage with local and foreign machine and parts manufacturers, research and extension bodies, to develop locally adaptive and effective machines for farming.

Make power stable exploiting diverse power generating sources, provide investment funds, and grant incentives and subsidies that make possible local manufacturing of and availability of affordable farm machineries. We can begin having machines run on alternative energy like solar powered irrigation which can help solve our irrigation problems. This can create a market that feeds other industries and opportunities for agricultural engineers.

Of important mention, is the need to provide more and robust funding, subsidies to the farmers to help them cushion rising production cost.

Agriculture cannot be left unaided and unprotected if we are to feed our nation. Moreover, climes seeing great progress with their agriculture give their farmers heavy subsidies and protections.

However, as we have seen with woes of rice farmers, we must understand that funding, subsidies, etc are not enough and won’t yield if we don’t put in place/promote enabling environment for the appropriate utilisation of these instruments.

Then we must ensure such assistance to go the right beneficiaries which entails knowing and having proper records of the targets. We must set the economy right, cut unnecessary expenditures, make business environment conducive and massive infrastructural investments.

It’s evident the global economy is in distress and nations are feeling the impact. But if we can put our affairs in order at home then we can cushion the effect, however, it would entail properly understanding the issues we face, building a robust action plan, being committed, dedicated and unyielding, taking bold risks and sacrifices, thinking different. And of all, having patience.

If we have been following the population dynamics trend in the world in recent times, then, we would see the need to rethink how we practice agriculture, to sustainably feed the regions that would harbour most of Nigeria’s future population.

It is that the world’s population distribution is shifting to have majority of the people reside in urban regions. According to a recent United Nation’s report on this 55% of the world’s population already resides in urban regions, and it is projected to increase to 68% by 2050.

This rapid shift is more prominent, about 90% occurring -and the future increases much expected -in the developing world –Asia and Africa. After all, three countries from these two continents, China, India and Nigeria are projected to form 37% of the world’s population by 2050.

Nigeria’s population for instance is expected to become the 3rd largest in the world in the same period, reaching 400 million.

The nation is also the world’s poverty capital, marked with great inequality. Wealth is so unequally distributed that the combined wealth of the nation’s five richest people can eradicate, conveniently, poverty at country level, reports the Oxfam International in 2017 exploring inequality drivers in the country.

With these three indicators it thus can be seen why Nigeria is/will be witnessing such phenomenon –it has a fast-growing population riddled with extreme inequality and poverty where more people increasingly migrate to urban regions in search of opportunities for better living.

This has so many implications for Nigeria. As migration rises, population in urban regions doubles. Also, with rising population is also a growing demand for food in urban regions. While it would be logical lands are earmarked for cultivation to meet future food demand of the urban population, the otherwise has been the case as they are rather put into housing and infrastructure.

Lagos, a most preferred city for migration and one that has seen its population increase by over 1000% in the last 50 years has already witnessed such contradiction, where places as Ago Iwoye, Okota, Ikotun, Igando which used to be hub of agricultural productions and other neighbouring areas had given way to urban development.

While we would think food supply from rural regions would suffice in this time as it always has, it is noteworthy to realise the farming households who form bulk of the rural populace and produce about 90% of food consumed in the nation are part of those migrating, hence the envisaging of a gradual food production decline in rural regions.

The World Bank’s Development Indicators in 2016 recorded Nigeria’s rural-urban population as 51.4% to 48.6%. The distribution has seen shifted in favour of urban where the population is expected to form 58.3% of Nigeria’s population and rural population, 41.7%, by close of 2020.

However, this situation is not one without hope neither is it uncommon. In fact, several nations (especially those of developed economies) have faced rapid migration/urbanization and/or with limited resources for food production rather have focused on maximizing and efficiently using their limited resources to sustainably produce food.

Netherlands is one country which despite its 41,543 km2 small landmass is one of the world’s highest food exporters. In 2017 it came 2nd to the United States (having 270 times its landmass) with agricultural produce for export worth about $92 billion. This was by investing in industrial greenhouse gases and innovative practices.

Other novel production means like hydroponics, aeroponics and advance vertical farming are also increasingly being adopted around the world. Nonetheless their practice faces one hindrance or the other.

Growing without soil and with raw nutrients is one which often brings concerns of food safety and is marked with controversy. The high cost of establishing these innovative farms is another, for an average Nigerian who most likely lives below $1.90 a day, as the World Bank reported that about 50% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty. The cost of greenhouse and its establishment is in the range of $2,800 to $5,500. 

The question then comes: If all these efficient, productive and innovative growing methods are marked by at least one form of challenge, is there any other system that remedies for that which they face while still being productive and efficient and can sustainably feed a growing Nigerian urban population.

Yes, there actually is. And it is called Sack Farming. It’s the latest trend but, however, not new nor is it enjoying adequate adoption. 

To put it simply, sack farming is the method of growing foods in sack. It entails filling sacks with soil suitable for plant growth and then putting it to crop production.

As it can be seen from what it entails, sack farming does not need any special understanding or technical know-how.

Sack farming also eradicates the problem of growing with raw nutrients as the soil medium is what is being used for production, and as each crop stand has its respective growing medium, the risk of diseases and pests and their transfer are limited and can be easily controlled.

The innovative method is so efficient that leveled or cemented ground, even crammed backyard and roof tops can be used for production.

All it takes is arranging sacks filled with the right soil, leaving spaces among the sacs to prevent overcrowding, as long as the environment is well aerated, allows for sunlight and has access to good water supply.

Another benefit is that it can be used to produce so many fast-growing crops with very short life cycles for instance, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, which all incur fewer expenses and command good prices in the market.

However, as it can be seen from the types of crops mentioned above, sack farming is more suitable for shallow rooted crops, leafy and fruit crops –not crops that require their root go deep in search of water and nutrients, for stability, nor for crops which form tubers underground –as a sack, clearly defined in boundary, limits root development (enlargement and elongation) to a certain extent.

Nevertheless, with the presence of the right soil, good seed and safe production enhancing inputs, adequate water supply, of course sacs, favourable environment, the appropriate crop for sack farming would do well and even on limited cost.

Using cucumber as an example: the total cost of its production on half-a-plot of land is about ₦40,000. Used cement sacks can be procured for free at housing sites or used rice sacs from mills or can all be purchased in food markets for about ₦50 per one. A half-a-plot of land can take 100 sacks and even be well-spaced. That is ₦5,000 in total for 100 sacs.

Remember you would need soil. If your land or garden already has soil and is the right type –sandy-loam, rich in nutrient and organic matter, well drained and aerated –then you are lucky.

But if not, or if there is not enough soil, you can always get dark sand used for planting from a sand merchant in close proximity. 10 tonnes of dark sand go for ₦15,000 in Lagos, depending on the location.

To be rest assured the soil has enough organic matter content, decomposed poultry droppings can be purchased from nearby poultry farm, for about ₦500. Five bags are enough; that is ₦2,500. They are to be mixed evenly with the soil.

It is also important that numerous small stones, preferably pebbles, about quarter the soil for growing are made available. In normal field conditions soils are well aerated and drained as earthworms and other fauna burrow into the soil and loosen the soil.

This is not the same for sack growing. Stones mixed with the soil can create space for water and air in the soil therefore aiding proper root growth and plant development.

Granite is best for this however, due to its expensive nature farmhands can be paid to collect stones to fill five sacks, probably for ₦5,000.

Murano f1 seeds, a highly prolific cucumber species (the pack contains about 200 seeds with a germination rate of 95%) can be bought at an accredited seed store for ₦1,600. ₦7,500 can also be reserved for organic fungicide, herbicide, pesticide, and diseases control.

A fully emerged and healthy cucumber stand can give about 25 fruits in its lifetime. A 100-sack production (with one crop stand each) as intended for this illustration would amount to 2,500 fruits. One cucumber fruit can weigh up to 0.7 kg. That is, a half-plot of 100 cucumber sacs would give 1,750 kg.

With this yield, it can be seen sack farming ensures efficient and productive growing of cucumber, and same can be realised for other crops in the same category; a good alternative to feed a rising urban population.

It also allows the producer realise reasonable profit and stay motivated to produce more. For instance, cucumbers are sold in 40 kg bags. Each bag, as at now in Lagos costs about ₦6,000. A 1,750 kg of cucumber yield is then approximately 44 bags, which would sell for ₦264,000.

That is a huge sum of ₦224,000 returns -about six times the original money (₦37,500) invested. However, it is essential to keep in mind that cost of materials presented in this article are not necessarily the same for every region, and that they are volatile from time to time, even the selling price of cucumbers. Same goes for other crops mentioned in this article, too.

Therefore, personal research and calculations are vital before investment is made in the production of any of such crops.

Another article would be written on the actual growing of cucumber in sacks, the steps to follow, the best agronomic practices to heed to yield good result.  

Before going on, I must say that I am disappointed and it is shameful, that Nigeria Africa’s second largest tomato producer after Egypt and even with great potential to produce higher, faces this level of tomato crisis.

Based on a latest report done in 2020, we produce about 3.7 million metric tonnes of tomato annually from an estimated 845,000 hectares.

For context, Egypt that we immediately rank after produces 6.73 million tonnes of tomato from just cultivating 20% of the hectares we farm.

Our yield per hectare is very low and could be higher (to somewhere above 30 million MT) if we took productivity seriously –by adopting hybrid and potent inputs, good agronomic practices and technology driven farming.

However, that is not the case but Nigeria with its current production figure would still be able to 100% meet a domestic demand of 2.2 million MT.

This also is not the case either with 50% of our produces wasted. That is 1.85 million metric tonnes (almost equal to what we produced in 2013) and which leaves a deficit of 450,000 MT but yet portrays we can satisfy 80% of our demands.

Meanwhile, some sources report our production figure to be 1.8 metric tonnes and with a 700,000 metric tonnes deficit, similar to what we had in 2013.

This is confusing in that the reported stat in 2019 and 2020 were 3.7 million MT and 3.8 million MT respectively and has one wondering how our production could have fallen by 2 million MT in 4 years.

Amidst this confusion, what seems true is that our tomato output had dropped from a highest peak of over 4 million MT in 2015 to 2.6 million MT in 2016 and although stilled soared but never to the highest peak attained, with the data from 2017 to 2021.

Either the 1.85 million MT output presented is old and of 2013 or that our production had plummeted. Nonetheless, the declined output from 2015 coincides with a rising insecurity challenge in that period and the current output low in comparison to the highest peak reached is possibly of the insecurity aftermath among other factors.

If we were to settle for 1.85 million MT, our capacity to meet domestic demand would be 68% and if we considered a 50% wastage, then the capacity is effectively halved to 34%.

If on the other hand we are producing about 80% of our needs but have this level of crisis, then something could be wrong with the data presented or the wastages reported are not accurate or that our harvests are going to what we are not paying attention to.

Whichever of the data we choose to follow, that which is a fact is that we have a big issue with data -not only absence of current data (none for 2022 and 2023) but also contradictory available data.

It is one of the problems we have pushing our tomato demand-supply gap. We do not know our actual production figures, and this does not help with appropriate planning and decision making.

Nevertheless, aside a low productivity we have come to know, wastage is a leading reason we have the tomato crisis.

Eradicating this hence is crucial and it requires understanding how such level of wastages occurs in the first place.

First is that these wastages begin on the farm where produces spoil/rot on farm to different factors.

The minister of agriculture recently informed that pest infestation is responsible for the present tomato scarcity and price hike we find ourselves.

This is true but to some extent with pest invasion wielding a huge impact but is not the sole causal factor.

The chief pest is the Tuta absoluta (destructive larva stage capable of 80-100% damage to tomato plant and fruit). In fact, the pest emerged in the nation in 2015 razing 80% of tomato farms and has been reported to have single-handedly driven tomato price by 500%.

With such history of the pest in Nigeria, it is expected that robust preventive and protective measures must have been established with knowledge gathered over time of the pest’s lifecycle and pathogenicity.

This did not occur and rather the pest would resurge last year after period of dormancy destroying over 300 hectares of farms and causing loss of about ₦1.5 billion.

The excuse of pest infestation for tomato this year is not tenable especially with signs and warnings from previous year’s virulence.

Irrespective, the ministry must urgently deploy state extension to production communities to support them with effective knowledge from research unit and inputs to curb said pest.

It should leverage traditional and new media and communication modes closer and accessible to farmers to rapidly disseminate beneficial information that helps with awareness of pest, preventive and eradicative measures, to stem the load and spread of the pest in focus.

As regards wastages of tomatoes on farm, insecurity, flood, a lack of access to market, storage and preservation facilities are also culprits.

I have mentioned it several times in my writings, insecurity is a leading cause of our food insecurity. Farmers have blamed insecurity to be responsible for 50% of their production losses.

What we have is that farmers in fear of terror attack flee their farms leaving produces on farm to rot. This reduces cultivated lands. And in other cases, farmers pay levies to bandits to access their farms and hence are not free to produce at a scale they should and with cost added to retail price.

When the impact of every year flood from dam opening in Cameroon that is not prepared for is considered, then the losses compounds, and farmers have learnt to stop production until they can comfortably commence.

Still at the farm end is a case of absence of or inadequate access to storage and preservation facilities and a lack of knowledge on processing techniques to prolong shelf-life of produces.

Tomatoes are highly perishable by nature and the above not present when farmers have produced beyond demand (of not adopting demand/data-driven production) with glut in the market does not help.

The agriculture ministry must come up with a robust data capturing process for the different agricultural commodities, activities and entities and make production enhancing insights available to farmers.

It must also establish an innovation complex system in collaboration of important stakeholders in the sector to facilitate affordable and operational preservation facilities to farmers and equipping them with simple preservation and processing techniques (making tomato in powder, air/sun-drying tomato).

The Dangote tomato processing facility has been struggling to operate and tending to shut down when it cannot access a 1,200 tonne daily tomato feed stock. People cannot buy tomatoes because it is scarce. But 50% of our tomatoes goes to waste. How do these things come by?

When you add how much tomato feed stock the Dangote facility would require in a year 438,000 MT and with a domestic demand (2.2 million MT) that is just a million lesser than the tomato we produced in 2020. Moreover, this just 20-60% of our tomatoes that are wasted.  

There is obviously an inefficient distribution and market linkage problem, and we are not thinking broader beyond fresh produce.

A whole lot of products is in the tomato value chain, paste, puree, juice, sauce, etc. The $1billion we spend on importing tomato paste yearly is enough to justify that.

Establishing farm-market-processor linkage and encouraging value addition would help to cut postharvest losses, meet demand, and unlock several value chain opportunities trapping earnings within.

It is why the ministry and federal government must urgently aid to expedite the reality of the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZ), where we have clusters of hubs linking all value chain participants and providing farmers with inputs required for productive venture.

Lagos state for instance has been creating food hubs fortified with preservation facilities providing market and storage for fresh produces and preventing spoilage and wastage. The FG wants to task states to adopt and execute such ideas.

Now advancing beyond the farm, wastages occur and most of postharvest losses with poor handling and transportation.

The raffia basket is still being used for storing and moving tomatoes on farms and in markets across the nation. These baskets bruise and damage tomatoes, accelerating spoilage, especially when stacked on one another and carried carelessly.

If you have been to MIle12 in the past you would see a river tomato puree and fathom the handling and wastage talked about.

I do not know about now, but I suspect things could be better with the adoption of crate for storage there I have been seeing on the net. But the reality check is, if it was that bad in such organised market and in Lagos, what would be for many unorganised and unsupervised market across the country?

The agriculture ministry should push for full scale adoption of the plastic crate and other innovations helping for proper handling and moving of fresh produces, encouraging such through incentives and flexible acquisitions.

Also, across our highways from the north down to the south are frequent sightings of broken down and tipped over haulage vehicles with contents thrown on the road, for many reasons –commonly of bad roads and vehicles and the produces spoiling having spent days on the road with vehicles not equipped with refrigeration equipment.

Adequate and alternative provision for safe and timely transportation of fresh produces has to be ensured.  

Actually, rail and air cargoes for moving agrocommodities are well overdue and private bodies should be allowed to participate in the service provision.

The menace of hooligans and officials across the roads harassing and delaying haulage vehicles forcefully taking illegal and multiple levies must be seen to.

In 2023, an official in the transport sector had lamented that it “cost ₦1.3 million to move 30 tonnes of food items from Kano to Lagos” paying permits and other illegal fees. This should not be.  

These actions many times serve to add to cost of food provision to consumers in addition to a costly nature of inputs for food production.

The issues are there are and clear and not isolated. It not just a case of pests. We must address all of them if we are to have a way of out the tomato crisis.

In early february this year, on “World’s Pulses Day”, I joined Vestance (an agribusiness intelligence firm) on an X (Twitter) space to discuss how Nigeria can extract more value from its pulses.

Prior to this event I had always wanted to inform people on how super a crop group pulses are to sustainably reaching an encompassing development –food security, revenue and wealth creation, and income equality, without compromising the environment.

Hence, when the opportunity arose, I quickly seized it and thus the rationale for this write-up.

This writing details my responses to the questions I was asked on the space. But it also entails insights I did not say in the dialogue for reason of omission or time limit or that some information was not necessary (at that time) to the asked questions, or I wasn’t asked some questions, or all these together.

Nonetheless, I have decided to add them in this piece understanding they are crucial to helping to have a broader insight on pulses benefits to the nation.

Opportunity for huge foreign earnings is one benefit pulses present. Global pulses consumption peaked in 2021 growing by 24% in the last decade. Also, worldwide cowpea production has been rising responding to growing demand where the market is projected would reach about $10 billion in 2028 from 2023 growing averagely by 5.5%.

Fortunately, Nigeria is the global leading producer of cowpea, accounting for 61% of Africa’s (the continent constitutes 80% of the world’s total production) and 58% of global production. The country has been poised to earn $700 million annually on cowpea trade.

The above is not the only benefits cowpea/pulses promise(s). There are others and would be discussed later on. This helps in grasping the economic importance of cowpea.

In tandem to the prior discussion, Nigeria other than gain rather loses $300 million in cowpea export earnings.

Therefore, it’s quite important to understand how with such potential the nation loses on cowpea earnings and many other benefits.

It’s also pertinent to know how the country can remedy these challenges and better position her in enjoying/capturing rewards pulses promote.

It would be noted that cowpea gets a feature in the preceding write up and is used interchangeably with pulse where the question what pulses mean becomes imperative.

Answering this aids appropriate classification of pulses and in properly deriving value pulses have to offer. The first question of the space addresses this.

Pulse is a general term for certain legume families, can we enlighten the audience about the various crops under Pulses. What is their importance to the food system and agriculture as a whole?

The most important differentiating criterion to know is that pulses fall under legume hence, all pulses are legume but not all legumes are pulses.

Pulses are dried edible seeds of grain legumes. The dry nature and low oil content set them apart from other categories of crops under legume.

Without these criteria other groups under legume could be termed pulse. For instance, peanut is consumed dry but has high oil content.

Legume then has 3 distinct groups under it: oilseed legumes, pulses and fresh legumes.

Soybean and peanuts are examples of oilseed legumes and fresh beans, peas and pods are fresh legumes.

Cowpea (commonly called beans) is one of the legumes that accurately belongs to pulses and is most familiar to us among the crop group in this part of the world. Thus, the reason cowpea was used interchangeably with pulse at the beginning of this writing piece.

Other examples of pulse are lentils, dry peas, chickpeas and common beans (black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans), etc.

These mentioned pulses are all edible, rich in vitamins and minerals. Lentils interestingly can be made into bean cake and puddle, pinto and black beans cooked as would cowpea, and peas and kidney beans used in salads and soups.

However, correctly classifying pulse could be quite challenging with it (cowpea for instance the pod and leaves) consumed fresh in some places.

A low-fat content and complemented by good composition of high-quality protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and antioxidants make cowpea (as other pulses) a rich and balanced food source, easily accessible and helping with food and nutrition security.

With reduced fat level, rich nutrient profile of good cholesterol, antioxidant and fibre, cowpea aids the removal of bad cholesterol and fight against obesity, diabetes, cancer and digestive problems.

Cowpea toleration of high temperature enables the legume to grow in arid areas and support lives there.

For instance, bulk of Nigeria’s cowpea supply comes from the northern states also known to be battling food insecurity and malnutrition to adverse climate.

Cowpea being able to adapt and grow in challenging environment makes the crop of great economic importance in those states.

Also, cowpea adapts to diverse climates and thus is grown across the country ensuring not only food security in the north.

Being cultivated around Nigeria and fast-growing ensures the pulse crop provides income for numerous small farmers, rural people and households dependent on cowpea farming.

Cowpea like other leguminous crops use less inputs and instead generate its own nutrients able to fix nitrogen from the air, a process which reduces farmers spending on fertiliser, improves the soil and dissuade indiscriminate fertiliser use.

This protects the environment by preventing imbalance of soil and marine ecosystems to fetiliser toxicity and eutrophication.

Cowpea also prevents climate imbalance by mitigating greenhouse gasses emission with soil cover. All these are beneficial to agriculture and farming systems.

A lesser input use by farmers not only enable resource management but also means more margins for farmers which are multiplied by every part of cowpea being valuable –dry husk used as animal feeds, the leaves and seeds serving as food for humans.

Cowpea hence is not just of great importance to farmers but to livestock and humans in general and also support the animal feed industry, livestock rearing sector and other value chains (bean cake and pudding selling, bean flour (culinary, baking and industrial applications).

Let’s start with what Nigeria is doing right with beans. How have we become the world leader in Bean production?

About 15 million hectares of cowpea is cultivated globally. Nigeria’s cultivation represents 25% of this and 35% of Africa’s total cowpea cultivation.

The nation’s cultivation grew by 165% between 1980 and 1990 and although still continued to grow but fell to 50% from 2009 to 2019.

Clearly, Nigeria constitutes the world’s leading cowpea producer chiefly by having more land under cultivation. However, this is not the sole reason for such.

The nation being endowed with climate and soil favourable for cowpea growth ensures that cowpea easily grows, develops fast, and enjoys adoption across the country.

Niger state is the largest producer of cowpea in Nigeria. Cowpea is also well grown in sates in northeast and west of Nigeria.

These states provide growth factors just in the appropriate requirement and combination for cowpea to thrive –adequate sunlight, high temperature, mild water supply and well-drained soil.

A mild water supply with drier climate preventing pests and diseases and a well-developed irrigation system in the north provide adequate water needs that enable thriving of cowpea.

The south also with a good climate of rainfall and soil and adoption of hybrid varieties (pests and diseases resistant, climate and photoperiod adapting) undertakes considerable cowpea cultivation.

Photoperiod is important to cowpea’s proper growth (as some other crops) as it signals developmental and growth phases.

A development of photoperiod insensitive varieties and varieties with different photoperiod sensitivity range has been a game changer. The IITA for instance has developed 800 improved cultivars from 17,000 unique samples.

It then means cowpea can be grown in different times of the year, places and conditions.

Soybean is becoming a hot crop for farmers, what are the challenges with the development?

It is quite important to address soybean and its status under legume. As it has been explained in the previous section, soybean falls under the legume family in a separate group, oilseed legume grains.

However, what I’ve found is that the classification of legumes under pulse can be location-dependent and on how useful they are. When of significant usefulness a legume crop is often termed pulse.

This is the case of soybean in Nigeria. Soybean as cowpea is a highly demanded legume in Nigeria.

Soybean is one of the few crops with complete essential amino acids only found in animal protein vital for optimum bodily growth and development.

For this reason and its digestibility and easy utilisation, it has been incorporated as a major feed ingredient for fish, poultry and some other monogastric animals and is increasingly a key input in food supplement for babies.

Also, soybean although not cooked directly for consumption like cowpea, can be made into steamed or baked cheese (tofu). This delicious delicacy is being used as alternative to meat as it is rich in protein.

The legume has industrial applications, in making edible vegetable oil and biofuel and is used in the manufacture of drugs and as alternative foods in managing diabetes being low in starch and high in protein.

All these competing uses, among other factors, mount pressure on soybean production and drive input price hike and unavailability making soybean growing challenging.

Hence, while Nigeria is a leading producer of soybean in Africa, the domestic production fails to meet the nation’s demand and rather a 100,000MT or more of soybean worth over $40 million is annually imported to bridge the deficit.

This soybean import thus becomes the norm and discourages domestic production. The dwindling production is compounded by insecurity, fragmented lands and changing climate which abate large scale, frequent and continuous productions.

Even, the yields per hectare for soybean in the nation are low compared to what can be owing to inadequate use of production enhancing inputs and adoption of innovative practices, often to a lack of access to and awareness of and knowledge in accurately applying these.

Thus, soybean plants are attacked and drained by parasitic weeds and pathogens and do not receive adequate phosphorus essential for root modulation and nitrogen fixation to provide required nutrition essential for proper growth.

And when farmers face these yield-impacting challenges and to flood and postharvest losses unable to access reliable market, an absence of insurance scheme and/or bailout fund worsens issue and generally discourage them from further engaging in the crop’s production.

How is it hard to start and grow beans profitably?

Beans can be grown profitably. Most times the reason it is difficult to do so is of a lack of or inadequate knowledge on its production, spoilage and wastage, and failure of producing what the market wants and of sales and marketing.

Growing beans successfully is an important step to profitable beans production. Without this you do not have beans for retail.

However, growing and offering what the market wants is crucial. The market usually wants great quality and certain varieties. There are many types of cowpea varieties out there and with different tastes.

Cowpea is besieged by many pests and diseases both on the field and in storage that reduce yield and quality of produce.

It is crucial to then ensure conditions that guarantee intactness and quality of cowpea both on the field and in store.

Some harvest early or make sure there is a ready market in place at harvest. Irrespective, marketing is important which ensures produces are sold in time and at good margins.

The problem is that only production is often considered not the business angle of it. Best to approach the venture as agribusiness not just agriculture.

If all these are ensured, then the beans production would not go to waste but first it is important to get right the growing of beans.

Growing beans is not hard. One can grow beans successfully at one’s backyard and it turns out well. It just requires knowing the growth/impacting conditions and inputs that determines beans growth.

Cowpea is a sun-loving and photoperiod sensitive crop and thus the need to grow the legume in the period of warmth although with sufficient irrigation. The legume requires a pathogen-free, well-drained and pH-balanced soil and sufficient irrigation.

At this juncture, it is important to emphasise that growing beans at one’s backyard and on a commercial scale are two different activities entirely although insights from the former could be useful and applicable for the latter.

However, they demand different commitments of time and resources, and challenges that emerge especially with pests and diseases are at distant scale with rapidly invading and irreversible yield diminishing factors, therefore it is important to be prepared and undertake the latter as a serious business.

For a while now, you hear about government interventions in crops like rice and maize, but rarely do you hear anything about beans. Do you think the Nigerian government is neglecting the crop?

If we were to go by the interventions given generally for all grains and that have benefited grain legumes as well, it could be said that the Nigerian government has not neglected beans.

However, you would only find few and not recent interventions by the Nigerian government focused on beans and pulses.

An example is a policy in the 1940s that pursued the development and marketing of oils, oilseeds and cotton and the recent National Agriculture Growth Scheme (NAGS) with an element of distributing hybrid soybean varieties.

Major interventions for and improvement of beans and pulses in Nigeria have been led and implemented by private bodies, international bodies, research institutes, and NGOs.

For instance, like we have seen for the IITA with creating new 800 cultivars, the IART developing new varieties.

Nonetheless, the government facilitated/enabled the establishment of these research institutes that sought to improve crop performance.

Even, some of the research institutes are public and are an extension of the government arm for instance the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA).

The pest Maruca vitrata is one of the pests of great economic importance to beans. NABDA has pushed for the adoption of Bt cowpea a modified variety of cowpea with the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis that has a biological effect and control action on said pest.

We lost an important export market in 2015 when the EU banned Nigerian beans due to high rate of pesticide. As a consumer of beans myself, I have personally noticed that some retailers use pesticide to preserve their beans from pests. Talk us through the danger of this not only to health but to business opportunities.  

That’s true we lost $360 million to the ban with the legume having worrisome levels of phostoxin residue, bugs and aflatoxin. This totaled $2.8 billion in 2023.

Chemicals as sniper (insecticide) are used in the preservations of not only beans but also other products –as stockfish.

We have heard of foods also being ripened with artificial ripening agents like carbide, ethylene gas, etc.

These are dangerous chemicals and their presence in food can compromise food safety and cause food poisoning, nerve disorders, cancer and various ailments.

These chemicals are lethal to the producers themselves being absorbable by the skin and inhalable but also to consumers and with broader impact across the value chain and different market levels.

Many local consumers are becoming aware of these unhealthy practices and absolutely rejecting such beans.

We have also experienced a reduced level of competitiveness of our beans in the regional and international markets, with our beans condemned for impurities.

Another impact of this is a blanket ban on all bean export from Nigeria affecting other Nigerian exporters of the actions of few violators.

There is indeed a need to raise awareness and enforce strict adherence among producers to not only desist from the use of pesticides in preserving cowpea (and other foods) but also use of safe pesticides at harvest beyond their withdrawal periods in edible fruits.

Consumer awareness and rejection of pesticide-preserved foods are crucial in containing such unhealthy food practices.

When consumers reject such foods, the producers begin to adjust and act appropriately and therefore production becomes consumer driven.

The government, regulatory and food safety bodies want to establish holistic and rigorous safety and compliance measures that ensure wholesome food across the supply and value chains and that there is adequate traceability to address issues when they emerge and/or blacklist negligent farms so domestic and foreign earnings are not disrupted.

How can Nigeria improve the yield of its bean farms? I understand we average less than 1 ton per hectare when countries like India average 5 to 6 tonnes.

There are two ways for Nigeria to improve the yield of its beans to what can be and to match high yield per hectare realised by other countries.

First, is for the nation to address issues inherent to her that constitute impediment to achieving such and, second, is to emulate what the countries with higher bean productivity are doing.

There must be committed efforts to ensuring the developed improved varieties of beans in the research units get to, are adopted and continuously used for production by the farmers.

The government wants to employ subsidised fund schemes, work with research body, extension unit and crop specialists in ensuring affordability, accessibility, adoption and appropriate application of improved varieties.

This would also help disseminate information on and in controlling common pests and diseases and adopting good agronomic and cultural practices that enable generating expected results.

The discussed practices are also what leading cowpea producers by hectare have adopted, for instance, India, the US and Brazil committed to ceaseless research and giving their farmers huge input subsidies.

As a product of research, for instance, the US has to large extent been able to tame parasitic weeds competing with their soybean, employing a combination of resistant seed varieties and potent selective herbicides.

Despite that we gave unusual high subsidy in the last few years; our subsidy to famers is one of the lowest in the world.

This cannot help to cushion our farmers against impact of unavoidable external factors and to stay committed to production.

I understand that a major reason the subsidy given did not materialise as it should is because of unintended beneficiaries.

A verified and verifiable list of farmers should then be established to ensure effective allocation and utilisation of inputs.

Lastly on this part, is the need for a revisit of our land tenure system to encourage huge and long-term land acquisition and that allow for large scale and continuous production.

To tap into a global market, you need to have high quality products. How can we safely keep pest away from this produce knowing that weevil can wreak serious damage to the produce?

This would require being thorough, proactive and enlisting integrated pest management system.

The measure has to start prior production, with ascertaining land history for pest and procuring pest-free seeds.

Many times, incidences of pest attacks are of pests already established in farm or introduced by infested seeds or inputs.

Then, comprehensive monitoring throughout production period must be adhered to prevent pest damage to pods on the field and their transport to the store.

As it has been mentioned, a mix of physical (scouting and removing), chemical (safe pesticide), biological (natural enemies or bioagents) and cultural practices are crucial to this as well.

A vast majority of pest attack and seed lost to beans happens postharvest and in storage to weevils.

The pest management system must be an unbroken chain, where efforts during production are complemented with ensuring a pest-free storage and an unfavourable conditions for pest to thrive in the store employing different techniques.

A method is bagging in airtight container and with safe desiccants promoting the removal of oxygen needed for pest respiration and instead mounting of CO2 presence depleting oxygen, raising temperature and suffocating the pests.

Another is making used of refrigeration technique to lower temperature to a level unbearable and not survival by pests but in which the crops preserved are not denatured and still are intact.

However, this method can be energy consuming and cost incurring and may not be ideal considering poor/epileptic power supplies in this part of the world and could be quite challenging for storing commercial quantity of beans.

One other method, ingenious, often adopted is using chili –as whole or in powder form –to ward off pests by mixing with beans in sealed bags.

Whichever of these methods, the government would need to come with simple and easily adoptable preservation and storage techniques for the small-scale farmers who constitute majority of the farmers, who are often resource constrained.