African Journals OnLine
Agro-Science: Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Food, Environment and Extension

Vol. 1. No. 1. January, 2000

NIGERIAN AGRICULTURE AND 
THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY

PLACID C. NJOKU
Federal University of Agriculture,
Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.

This paper has x-rayed Nigerian agriculture and highlighted the problems that have constrained performance. To the casual observer, it would appear that Nigerian agriculture has done well in spite of the problems. After all, it is said that over 70 million Nigerians (about 70 percent of the population) derive their livelihood from agriculture.
For those of us who have the responsibility of studying and operating the system, the danger signals should be clear. The first danger signal is that the productivity of agriculture has not grown but has declined in some sectors: consequently Nigeria has been unable to feed its population. The second danger signal is that the population is growing rapidly at the rate of about 3 percent which surpasses the rate of growth of food production. The third is that our foreign exchange earning is declining such that we cannot afford to supplement local food production with imports. The three factors have combined to cause acute food scarcity which is currently felt more in spiralling food prices than in non-availability of food. This is why currently, the average salary earner spends an unduly large proportion of the monthly take-home pay on food alone.
If agricultural productivity does not increase considerably in the next decade, and our foreign exchange earning capacity continues to decline as it has done in the past two decades, while the population continues to grow at the current rate, then Nigeria will face a situation of absolute food scarcity. The giant of Africa may be forced to go cap-in-hand begging for food aid. The prospect of this occurring necessitates that action should be taken to transform Nigerian agriculture fast as we make efforts to reduce our population growth rate. Agricultural professional organisations and institutions must rise to the occasion to ensure the sustained and efficient production of food, a resource of critical importance to the security and integrity of Nigeria. Cognisant that Nigeria, the Giant of Africa, has immense human and material resources, it therefore has the potential to utilize these as envisioned "to achieve food security, produce raw materials for industry and raise the level of foreign exchange earnings" and make Nigeria "Africa's leading economy". The challenge is ours.

NIGERIAN AGRICULTURE AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE 
21st CENTURY: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF FOOD 
PROCESSING

P. O. Ngoddy
Department of Food Science & Technology,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
After 40 years of costly and of wasteful experimentation with different fashions in development strategy, Nigeria and other African countries have come back full-circle to the realization that as agricultural countries, agriculture-led development strategies are the appropriate response, as Lewis (1955) pointed out 45 years ago, to the deepening continent-wide crises of persisting poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
The Food Industries have tactical and catalytic roles to play within Agriculture-led development strategies in Nigeria and the other countries especially within sub-Saharan Africa. Food industries' capacity to fulfil this role depends entirely on whether the appropriate policy environment and complementary training can be created to foster a new breed of entrepreneurial players in Nigerian food processing. Vision 2010 has identified the development of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) as the engine for kick-starting the much-desired process of industrialization. What needs to be stressed is that Food Processing is the most fertile soil in which SMEs root and blossom into thousands of flowering industrial establishments and millions of jobs as a famous Chinese proverb puts it.
The strategic concept behind National Land Development Authority (NALDA) was to encourage the pulling together of unused and under-utilized tracts of land into viable cooperative farm enterprises that can be farmed scientifically using viable technologies. The idea of a Chain of Farm Service Centres to provide inputs and technology to NALDA and other Farmers within project environments remains one framework in which networks of food processing and storage infrastructure can become widespread throughout Nigeria's multifarious Local Government Areas.
Experience from Malaysia underscores the necessity to inject entrepreneurial blood through franchising and similar schemes into the promotion of the many sub-component parts of the Farm Service Centres in order to empower them to function as sustainable economic entities.
The mention of NALDA is not to say that this particular concept has been a success. Quite the contrary. NALDA has become an unmitigated failure, as we all know. But its failure derives from Nigeria's inability to implement excellent project ideas as we have seen with RBDAs, ADPs and many others. The point to be underscored is that innovative and bold ideas such as NALDA and its precursor schemes are a must. But they have to be pursued with honesty and competence to make the desired impact. Within the context of finding more efficient frameworks for input and service delivery for Nigerian Agriculture, it is absolutely necessary to identify and address the problem of Farm Mechanization. Anazodo (1980) tells us that engine power available on the Nigerian farm is only 18 watts/hectare, compared to FAO-recommended minimum of 373 watts/hectare. Consequently, raw human power accounts for 90 per cent of all power used on Nigerian farms; animal power accounts for 8 per cent and engine power for 2 per cent. Should there be any wonder why our farms are deserted by both young and old? Who wants to toil tirelessly on primitive farms for nothing?
Needless to say, farm mechanization through tractorization is an essential pre-requisite for Nigerian agriculture in the 21st century. Nigeria must aim to achieve the FAO target of 373 watts/hectare within the first ten to twenty years of the new century. To do this, Odigboh (1996) tells us that local manufacture of agricultural machinery is an imperative from multiple perspectives of making such equipment affordable, creating jobs and enhancing our technological capacity as a nation. The networking of Farm Service Centre Franchizes remains one of the most attractive means of injecting entrepreneurial blood into this aspect of input delivery.


THE CHALLENGES OF CROP PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

J. E. Asiegbu
Department of Crop Science,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
Before and at the dawn of independence in 1960, Nigeria had a thriving agrarian economy, with food surplus projected for the 70s. The food surplus never happened because of the neglect of agriculture resulting from a thriving oil economy to the extent that presently oil accounts for 94 - 95% of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings.
In the present article, attempts have been made to identify the major challenges and aims of crop and forestry agriculture with a case made for the ways to make crop agriculture to play a robust and more competitive role in the 21st century.
Nigeria's endowment in crop and environmental resources were shown to be favourable for agricultural development. Ways ahead for agricultural development in the 21st century were surveyed. Use of proved good quality planting materials based on a good breeding programme which necessitates emergence of indigenous seed firms with commercial orientation, and uses of integrated pest management procedures were strongly emphasized. The right production system and mechanization strategies must be products of research and development based on local conditions and not mere importations based on alien conditions. Agroforestry, with its multiple benefits, was shown to be environmentally friendly and capable of benefiting sustainable production if well programmed into use.
Conservation of Nigeria's fast disappearing wealth of genetic resources as a basis for development of crop idiotypes was seen as a great debt owed to the future generation. Biotechnology, like the Green Revolution of the 20th century, was identified as probably the unfolding revolutionary technology for the 21st century, that may alter the course of agricultural development, and in which Nigeria must play a competitive role to remain relevant in 21st century agriculture.


AGRICULTURAL POLICY IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

E. C. Nwagbo
Department of Agricultural Economics,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Agricultural policy-making in Nigeria has been through changes over time. During each phase, the characteristics of policy have reflected the roles expected of the sector and the relative endowment of resources. In particular, the emergence of petroleum as a major source of revenue had meant that more revenue was available for funding of programmes. It also meant that agriculture no longer commanded the same amount of attention it did in the earlier periods.
These notwithstanding, agricultural policy had been dynamic. Institutions were created while others were disbanded depending on the exigencies of the time. Hence the marketing Boards gave way to commodity boards and production companies; the River Basin development Authorities have been modified to meet changing objectives; small-scale irrigation schemes are receiving more attention than the earlier large versions; agricultural extension by the State Ministries of Agriculture has given way to extension by the Agricultural Development Project (ADP); technology generation and dissemination are being integrated through the ADP-Research Institute farming systems research.
Dialogue has been on-going on key sub-sectors of agriculture among policy makers, practitioners and development agencies, aimed at evolution of more effective policies in the agricultural sector.
It is now realized that agriculture at policy concerns more than food production. In spite of abundant production of food, excessive hunger still does exist among the populace. Both under- and malnutrition could still coexist with apparent plentiful supply of food. Many of the citizens could still be deprived of good health and education in spite of high per capita supply of food.
Availability, access and distribution of food and basic needs have become important security complements of food availability. The broad term, poverty alleviation has assumed an acceptable battle cry for policy makers in the food sector generally.


NIGERIAN AGRICULTURE AND 
THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY: NIGERIAN SOILS

F. O. R. Akamigbo
Department of Soil Science,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
The cardinal roles of agriculture in Nigeria, her landmass, approximate hectares under different land uses, the national average cultivated land ratio per caput, soil studies, government policies on agriculture, soil constraints and problems and technologies of soil conservation and management in the 20th century were reviewed. Their implications on soil and agriculture are discussed. Nigerian soils are found to be of medium to high potentials. There is no class one soil and class two soils account for 5.5% of the total land area. Class three soils constitute 46.5% and they are of medium productivity and have a good potential for agricultural development. Over 48% fall into classes four and five and they generally have low productivity. Soil constraints and problems that militate against high crop yields are soil erosion, salinization, flooding, declining fertility, desert encroachment, mismanagement and misuse etc. Conservation and management measures include adoption of minimum tillage, crop rotation, fallowing, fertilization, mulching etc.
The expectations and approaches for the study and use of Nigerian soils in the 21st century are discussed. Some of them include establishment of soil research institutes, detailed characterization and mapping of the soils, production of land capability maps, zoning of crops based on land capability and the suitability of the soils; use of modern methods of acquiring, storing and retrieving data; proper formulation and use of inorganic and organic fertilizers etc. New technologies must be sought to handle the cultivation of the fragile soils. Irrigated agriculture and water conservation techniques should be encouraged at small to medium scale farming. Soils study should be approached from a multi-disciplinary viewpoint for sustained productivity and environmental harmony.

CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES OF AGRICULTURAL 
MECHANIZATION IN NIGERIA IN THE NEXT DECADE: 
SOME NOTES, SOME OPTIONS

E. U. Odigboh
Department of Agricultural Engineering 
University of Nigeria, Nsukka

"The man with the hoe" still remains an apt description of the Nigerian farmer today. In spite of decades of immense expenditures and investments into agriculture, in terms of money men and materials, by national and international governments and agencies, the average Nigerian farmer remains an indigent serf, regarded by today's youths as a dreadful anachronism.
The Nigerian agricultural industry, populated as it is by aged and ageing peasants, has progressively developed into a world of drudgery for losers, shunned and despised by Nigerian youths. To change this ugly/unsavoury image of Nigerian agriculture, it has now become imperative to adopt an appropriate level of engine-power agricultural mechanization technology (EPAMT), necessary and sufficient to modernize, energize and revitalize the industry. This paper opines that the most viable option to achieve the objective is a mechanization strategy which can create the conducive environment for the emergence of small-to-medium-scale (SMS) market-orientated, youthful farmers, who will voluntarily choose to go into agriculture as a respectable and profitable business. This canvassed SMS farmer-oriented mechanization strategy is justified in this paper with objective analyses of information and data collected through surveys, interviews and a requisite review of relevant literature.

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE 21ST 
CENTURY

F. C. Obioha
Department of Animal Science 
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
ABSTRACT
It is debatable whether entrepreneurship is a discipline, an aptitude or an attitude or probably all three; but the time has come to identify and reinforce courses in agricultural economics which can help a future graduate set up a farm confidently and successfully. It will take some co-ordination and re-organization of the internship year such that each student association within NAAS (National Association of Agricultural Students) can mount a pilot mini-project in each identified area of need, e.g. poultry, pigs, rabbits, vegetables, ornamental plants, organic fertilizers, orchard gardens, soya milk, soya cakes, etc. The NAAS and the faculty leadership can solicit funds for this novel enterprise which will enhance confidence, competence and proficiency for our graduates of the 21st century.


THE CHALLENGES OF NIGERIAN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

M. C. Madukwe and A. C. Anyanwu
Department of Agricutural Extension,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Meaningful agricultural development in any society largely hinges on the Extension System in place. The developed economics such as the United States of America have evolved, over time, highly workable extension systems. In spite of this, extension is seen as a dynamic process which requires regular modifications in order to make it relevant in a constantly changing technological world. In Nigeria, much of our extension activities are borrowed from alien technologies, and there are lots of deficiencies. There is need to get Extension going in order to attempt to catch up in the next century.


TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITION OF MEAL AND OIL 
OF RUBBER AND SANDBOX 


O. U. NJOKU1, I. C. ONONOGBU1 and S. C. OBASI2
1Lipid and Lipoprotein Research Unit
Department of Biochemistry, 
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
2Raw Material Research Council, Abuja, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT 
Two species from the Euphorbiaceae family Hevea brasiliensis (rubber plant) and Hura crepitan (Sandbox plant) were analysed for total ash and mineral nutrients in both the defatted meals and oils. Specie differences were not significant in the quantity of trace elements present.


CROSSBREEDING EXOTIC AND LOCAL BREEDS OF RABBITS IN CAMEROON: BREED OF SIRE AND BREED OF DAM EFFECTS

L. N. Nwakalor1 and M. Ngo Ndjon
Department of Animal Science, 
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
ABSTRACT 
Data on 442 offspring from 114 litters produced in a reciprocal crossbreeding programme involving local (LOC), New Zealand White (NZW) and Californian (CAL) rabbits at the Institute for Animal and Veterinary Research (IRZV) Mankon, Bamenda-Cameroon were analysed to ascertain the paternal and maternal breed effects on preweaning litter traits and individual weaning weight using least-squares analysis of covariance. Breed of sire significantly (P<0.05) influenced individual weaning weight (IWW) but not litter birth number (LBN) and litter sizes at birth (LSB), at 21 days (LS21) and at 56 days (LS56), and litter weights and gains from birth to weaning. Progeny of LOC bucks were 166 g above herd average while kits sired by NZW and CAL bucks were below average in IWW. Least-squares constants showed significant (P<0.05) effects of breed of dam on LBN, litter weight at birth (LWB), average daily gain from birth to 21 days (ADG21) and IWW. It would appear that LOC dams had good prolificacy but poor mothering ability while NZW dams showed good prolificacy, mothering ability and growth potentials in their litters. Evidence also showed that CAL dams lacked good prolificacy but had good mothering ability and growth potentials. It was concluded that maternal breed effects appeared to be much more important than sire breed effects in influencing preweaning litter characters of the rabbits.


ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON AGE AT FIRST LAMBING 
AND LAMBING INTERVAL IN YANKASA SHEEP


E. M. Awemu1, L. N. Nwakalor1* and B. Y. Abubakar2
1Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria.
2National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), 
Ahmadu Bello University, P. M. B. 1096, Zaria, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT 
The effects of different environmental factors on age at first lambing and lambing interval of Yankasa sheep kept at the National Animal Production Research Institute, Shika, were studied. Least-squares means ( ± SE) for age at first lambing and lambing interval were respectively, 597.2 ±12.6 days and 253.1± 2.9 days. Type of birth (P<0.05) and season of birth (P<0.05) were important in influencing age at first lambing while parity (P<0.05), season of previous lambing (P<0.01) and year (P<0.001) influenced lambing interval. Dams born single or in the dry season attained reproductive status earlier than twin-born dams and those born in the other seasons. Lambing intervals were generally longer than expected from a flock where dams were bred to lamb twice in a year. Measures to reduce age at first lambing and lambing intervals to improve productivity are recommended.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE AGRO-TECHNOLOGY GENERATION AND TRANSFER SYSTEMS OF UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN NIGERIA

M. C. Madukwe1 and S. O. Eze2
1Department of Agricultural Extension
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
2Ebonyi State Agricultural Development Programme, Abakaliki, 
Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
This study comparatively analysed technology generation and transfer practices between the extension systems of ADP and university in Nigeria. It is part of a larger study which analysed the agro-technology transfer systems of ADP and University in Nigeria. Four states namely, Benue, Kaduna, Ogun and Osun were purposively selected. Two hundred and eighty four randomly selected extension staff made up of two hundred and twenty from the ADP and sixty four from the university made up the sample size for the study. Questionnaire was employed for data collection, while t-test was the statistical tools adopted in analyzing the data. The findings show that the university had greater autonomy in agro-technology generation than the ADP. However the ADP involved farmers in their field research trials than the university. On technology transfer, the university grouped farmers and targeted them with programmes based on need more than the ADP. The ADP system had better knowledge of rural dynamics than the university system. The ADP had poor staff training facilities and provided inadequate training incentives to staff compared with the university which had better training facilities and provided competitive incentives to extension workers. The paper recommends restructuring of the ADP and university extension systems, such that each will concentrate on the areas it has greater comparative advantage and complement each other.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHENOLOGICAL AND YIELD TRAITS OF THE PLANT CROP AND FIRST RATOON CROP OF MUSA GENOTYPES AS AFFECTED BY PLOIDY LEVEL AND GENOMIC GROUP


Baiyeri, K.P., B.N. Mbah and A. Tenkouano1
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
1International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
P.M.B. 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria

ABSTRACT
Multiple correlation of phenological and yield traits of the plant crop (PC) with those of the first ratoon crop (RC) of 36 Musa genotypes was carried out. The genotypes were landraces (triploid) belonging to AAA, AAB and ABB Musa genomic groups and hybrids (mostly tetraploid) thereof. The plants were grown under four environments for two crop cycles (PC and RC). Genomic group and ploidy level significantly affected the number of traits correlated and their coefficient of correlation. Plantains (AAB) had fewer and weaker correlated traits than cooking bananas (ABB) and dessert bananas (AAA). In all the genomic groups plant height of RC at harvest of the PC was significantly correlated with days to flowering and yield of the RC. In the hybrid genotypes, the black sigatoka disease score of the PC correlated with days to flowering, bunch weight and harvest interval in RC. Yield of RC was predictable from the yield of PC (except for the plantains). It was conclusive from the study that early selection of sucker for the ratoon crop and other crop management options that will enhance healthy growth of the PC will sustain high yield in Musa genotypes.


THE INFLUENCE OF POULTRY MANURE APPLICATION AND PLANT DENSITY ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF EGUSI MELON (COLOCYNTHIS CITRULLUS) ON THE NSUKKA PLAINS OF SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA


P. E. Ogbonna and I. U. Obi
Department of Crop Science
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
ABSTRACT 
A two year study, 1995 and 1996, was undertaken to assess the effects of poultry manure, plant density and their interaction on the yield and yield components of "egusi" melon (Colocynthis citrullus) under Nsukka ecological condtions of south - eastern Nigeria. It was observed that fruit production ha-1, average fruit weight, 1000 - seed weight and seed yield ha-1 increased with increase poultry manure application giving seed yield increase of 51% and 41% for 5 and 10t ha-1 rates respectively over the 0 t ha-1 rate. It was also observed that higher plant density gave higher fruit and seed yields compared with low plant density . Seed yield was increased by 31% and 39% in the 10,000 and 40,000 plants ha-1 densities compared with the 4444 plants ha-1 in 1995 and similarly by 41% and 60% in 1996. High plant density and increasd poultry manure application also enhanced plant development as was measured by days to 50% flowering, lenght of stem and number of branches/plant at 30 days after planting. Poultry manure x plant density (MxD) interaction was significant in fruit and seed production and this showed a trend of increased fruit and seed yield as poultry manure use was increased with increased plant density rates.

GENETIC VARIABILITY AND BREEDING VALUE OF CASTOR GENOTYPES

M. I. Uguru
Department of Crop Science,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT 
Six populations consisting of the parents (P1 and P2 ), F1 s, F2 s and backcrosses (BCP1 and BCP2) from three crosses of castor (Ricinus communis L.) were studied using randomised complete block design to determine the level of variabilities with a view to ascertaining the improvement potentials through selection. The results show that castor plants are largely heterozygous, an attribute that is highly desirable in plant breeding as they provide heterogeneous populations for a wider spectrum of selection. Genotypic differences were highly significant showing a wide range of variations in many of the characters studied. Phenotypic variations in many of the characters were largely non-genetic and broad sense heritability estimates were relatively low for some of the traits. There were strong indications that improvement of quantitative characters in castor may not be achieved by direct selection from the existing genotypes.