Agricultural Development in Rural Nigeria: A Review of Approaches

Abstract

Given Nigeria’s abundant resources and expected future population rise, the country’s very low human development indicators, particularly in the rural areas, is a serious cause of concern. Researchers and development stakeholders however persistently approached Nigeria’s development from the classical point of view – one that trickles from a central government and benefits members of a community. The apparent failure of this type of approach in Nigeria, particularly in the post-colonial era presents a need for a critical rethink into what the nation has been through all the way, with a view to identifying the most fitting approach to rural agricultural development. This paper reflects on Nigeria’s rural agricultural development from pre through to the post-colonial eras and identifies a people-driven entrepreneurial approach, such as practiced during the precolonial era to have worked best for rural Nigeria so far. In light of current global trends, it is recommended that researchers and development stakeholders work to revive this strategy in order to reposition rural agriculture on the path to progress and prosperity and thereby put an end to food importation in Nigeria.

Keywords: Agriculture, Rural Development, Entrepreneurship, Food Importation