Nigeria’s population is estimated at 197 million. In 2017, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs released a report predicting that Nigeria would be the third most populous country on the globe by 2050.
The country’s population grows at 2.6 percent annually and is mainly dominated by a set of ravening young people who are less than 40, making up over 50 percent of the population.
But how prepared is Africa’s most populous country for feeding the millions of mouths born each year? Numbers do not lie. Statistics show that Nigeria is still far behind in food production and security.
Latest data from Agriculture Ministry show that Nigeria is the largest producer of yam with 40 million metric tons per annum but yam demand in the country is 60 million metric tonnes (MT) per annum (MT), leaving a gap of 20 million MT. This shows clearly that the country’s drive for yam export is rather misplaced.
Nigeria produces 42 million MT of cassava but has a demand of 53.8 million MT for the crop, leaving a gap of 11.8 million MT.
Also, national production for Irish potato is 900,000 MT per annum but with a demand of 8million MT and a gap of 7.1 million MT.
Similarly, local production of sweet potato is estimated at 1.2 million MT, while demand is 6 million MT, leaving a gap of 4.8 million MT.
More so, Nigeria churns out 400,000 MT of wheat annually but has a demand of 4 million MT, which leaves a gap of 3.6million MT.
The country’s ginger production is 310,000 MT but demand is 650,000 MT, leaving a gap of 340,000 MT.
Again, Nigeria’s rice production has risen to 5.3 million MT but demand is still 7.2 million MT, leaving a gap of 1.9 million MT.
Maize production in the country is put at 10.5 million MT but demand is 15 million MT, leaving a gap of 4.5 million mt.
Local Soybean production is 750,000 MT but domestic demand is 2 million MT, meaning there is a gap of 1.3 million MT.
Furthermore, Acha production is 78,000 MT but with local demand reaching 187,000 MT, there is a gap of 109,000 MT. Sesame production is 200,000 MT but demand is 600,000, leaving a gap of 400,000 MT.
Local shea nut production is 200,000 MT but demand is 1.4 million MT, implying there is a gap of 1.2 million MT.
Castor production is 014,000 MT. However, demand is 510,000, leaving a gap of 496,000 MT.
Nigeria produces 2.5 million metric tonnes of tomato but the citizens need 6 million MT of it to survive. This leaves a gap of 3.5 million MT.
Sorghum production in the country is 11 million MT while demand is 12.5 million MT, showing a gap of 1.5 million MT.
What this data imply is that Nigeria is not producing enough foods for its rapidly growing population. With these gaps in major crops, some of the local demand is met by import.
Naturally, importation is not intrinsically bad, but importation of food, just like drugs, has a security implication, analysts warn.
Moreover, some of the crops imported from West African neighbours have quality and standards concerns, analysts say.
“We are not producing enough currently because farmers are still farming using old farming techniques and our yield per hectare is still very low when compared with other nations of the world,” said Abiodun Olorundenro, chief executive officer, Green Vine Farms.
Many analysts believe that one major reason why the country is lagging in food production is the use of old technology and machines.
Ibrahim Kabiru, national president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, is among those who have this belief.
Kabiru said Nigeria must now increase its mechanisation to meet the ever-increasing mouths needed to be fed.
“We must start farming all-year round and provide farmers with improved seeds varieties to increase our yield per hectare to produce enough for our population,” Kabiru told BusinessDay.
But beyond production, Nigeria still has challenges in the food value chain. For example, storage facilities are priced out of average farmer’s reach, leading to post-harvest losses.
Post-harvest losses in agriculture sector hover between 50 and 60 percent.
Nigeria, for example, produces 1.5 million MT of fresh tomato but loses 700,000 to poor post-harvest handling. Yet, tomato demand in the country is 2.5 million MT.
Apart from storage, distribution of crops is a major challenge, as a large number of farmers cannot afford vehicles to ferry their produce to cities, just as roads linking many villages are still decrepit.
Moreover, technology remains a main issue in the food value chain as farmers still cannot afford devices that ca track rains and seasons.
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