40.2 million Nigerian households into agriculture – NBS

The National Agricultural Sample Census Report 2022 of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that about 40.2 million households in Nigeria are into agriculture.

According to the report, out of 91 percent of agricultural households that cultivate crops, 35 percent practice only crop cultivation and 48 percent raise livestock.

Also, 16 percent of the households raised 58 million cattle, 41.2 percent are farming about 124 million goats, 42.5 percent poultry – most commonly chickens – while only 5 percent practice fisheries.

The NBS stated that the sample census was carried out by Nigerian households across the six geopolitical zones in the country.

It further stated that the lowest percentage of agricultural households in Crop Cultivation was recorded in Lagos State (48 percent), while Ebonyi State had the highest with 99.5 percent.

Also, the highest percentage of agricultural households engaged in livestock production was reported in Jigawa State with 84.2 percent; followed by Bauchi State with 79.7 percent.

For poultry farming, the highest percentage of agricultural households was recorded in Benue State with 65.2 percent; closely followed by Ebonyi State with 63.3 percent.

NBS stated that the focus group interviews were conducted within the communities in the selected enumeration areas to obtain more information about the residents’ perceptions of the agricultural and non-agricultural activities in the community.

The report further revealed that maize, guinea corn, and rice cultivation are reported by about 80, 40, and 37 percent of crop-producing agricultural households, respectively.

It said among the root/tuber crops, about 53, 40, and 24 percent of crop-producing households reported cultivating cassava, yam, and cocoyam, respectively.

The report further showed that crops such as beans/cowpeas are the main leguminous crops cultivated by about 46 percent of crop-producing agricultural households.

“Okro is the most popular vegetable crop produced by about 41 percent of crop-producing households in Nigeria,” the NBS noted.

It revealed that at the national level, while about 42 percent of crop-producing households cultivate ground nuts, Benue has the highest rate of its cultivation as about 81 percent of households in the state reported cultivating the nut.