By Ibrahim Muhammed (IBM Bangis), Co-founder of Commodity.ng
For decades, agriculture in Nigeria has focused heavily on increasing production. Governments, institutions and development agencies continue to encourage Nigerians to cultivate more land and produce more food. However, according to Ibrahim Muhammed, popularly known as IBM Bangis and Co-founder of Commodity.ng, one of the biggest problems facing Nigerian agriculture today is not simply production — but pricing.
Speaking on the challenges facing farmers across Nigeria, Ibrahim Muhammed explained that many farmers are not poor because they cannot produce food, but because they cannot protect the value of what they produce.
According to him, unstable pricing systems, market exploitation and poor access to agricultural market intelligence continue to weaken the profitability of farming and discourage long-term investment in agriculture.
“Many farmers work extremely hard throughout the season, but when harvest comes, they are forced to sell below production cost because they lack storage, bargaining power or market access,” Ibrahim Muhammed stated.
He explained that in many farming communities across Nigeria, farmers do not determine the prices of their commodities. Instead, middlemen and market forces often dictate prices, leaving farmers vulnerable to losses despite carrying the highest production risks.
The Real Challenge Beyond Farming
Ibrahim Muhammed noted that Nigeria already has millions of active farmers producing food across different value chains, yet poverty remains widespread among farming communities.
According to him, this contradiction exists because agriculture in Nigeria is still largely treated as subsistence production rather than as a structured economic system.
“We must stop seeing agriculture as just planting and harvesting. Agriculture is an economy on its own. Pricing, logistics, processing, storage and market coordination are just as important as production,” he said.
He further explained that when prices collapse during harvest periods, many farmers become discouraged from reinvesting in the next farming season. This, according to him, contributes to low productivity, food inflation and growing rural poverty.
Why Stable Prices Matter
The Co-founder of Commodity.ng stressed that stable pricing gives farmers confidence to expand production, invest in mechanization and adopt better farming practices.
“A farmer who can reasonably predict market prices is more likely to invest in better seeds, irrigation systems and expansion because there is confidence that the investment will be profitable,” Ibrahim Muhammed explained.
He added that countries with strong agricultural systems often protect farmers through structured commodity exchanges, storage systems, cooperative bargaining structures and data-driven market intelligence.
Without pricing protection, he said, agriculture becomes financially risky and emotionally exhausting for many farmers.
The Power of Farmer Groups and Cooperatives
Ibrahim Muhammed also emphasized the importance of farmer groups and cooperatives in protecting farmers from exploitation.
According to him, many Nigerian farmers operate individually, making them too weak to negotiate effectively with large buyers or commercial off-takers.
“An individual farmer with a few bags of produce may not have influence in the market. But when farmers come together under organized cooperatives, they gain bargaining power and stronger market control,” he said.
He explained that strong farmer groups can help members:
- negotiate better prices,
- reduce exploitation by middlemen,
- access bulk storage,
- reduce transportation costs,
- secure financing,
- and enter larger commercial markets.
However, he noted that many farmer cooperatives in Nigeria still operate informally and need modernization, digital coordination and stronger market structures.
Market Information Is the New Agricultural Power
Speaking further, Ibrahim Muhammed highlighted the growing importance of agricultural data and commodity intelligence in modern farming.
According to him, many farmers lose money simply because they do not have access to real-time market information.
“In some cases, farmers sell commodities cheaply in one state while the same commodity is selling for much higher prices elsewhere. Lack of information weakens farmers,” he said.
He stressed that modern agriculture is becoming increasingly data-driven, where success depends not only on farming knowledge but also on understanding:
- market trends,
- seasonal demand,
- commodity pricing patterns,
- logistics,
- and consumer behavior.
“Agricultural pricing intelligence is now as important as rainfall prediction,” Ibrahim Muhammed added.
Storage as Economic Protection
The Commodity.ng Co-founder also described storage infrastructure as one of the strongest forms of price protection available to farmers.
According to him, many farmers are forced into desperation selling immediately after harvest because they lack proper storage facilities or urgent financial pressure forces them to sell quickly.
This seasonal oversupply often crashes market prices.
“Storage is not just infrastructure; storage is economic protection,” Ibrahim Muhammed stated.
He explained that farmers with access to warehouses, silos and preservation systems can delay sales until prices improve, thereby increasing profitability and reducing losses.
Food Security Depends on Farmer Profitability
Ibrahim Muhammed warned that food security cannot be achieved if farmers continuously operate at losses.
“If farmers are not profitable, they will eventually reduce production or leave agriculture entirely. And once production drops, food prices rise and the entire economy suffers,” he said.
According to him, protecting farmers from unstable pricing is not charity but a national economic necessity.
“A country that cannot protect its farmers cannot sustainably protect its food system,” he added.
Technology and the Future of Agricultural Pricing
Discussing the future of agriculture, Ibrahim Muhammed noted that technology will play a major role in improving commodity pricing systems and protecting farmers.
He explained that digital agricultural platforms can help farmers:
- monitor prices in real time,
- connect directly with buyers,
- analyze market trends,
- access financing,
- and reduce exploitation.
He also stressed the importance of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and digital commodity tracking systems in modern agriculture.
“The future farmer will not only be the person who can produce more. The future farmer will be the person who understands data, markets and value chains better,” he stated.
Beyond Farming: Building Agripreneurs
Ibrahim Muhammed further emphasized that Nigerian youths must begin to understand agriculture beyond cultivation alone.
According to him, the real opportunities in agriculture exist across processing, storage, logistics, branding, packaging, export and market systems.
“The real wealth in agriculture is often beyond the farm itself. Agriculture is a complete business ecosystem,” he said.
He encouraged young Nigerians to study agricultural economics, commodity systems and agribusiness management in order to build more sustainable and profitable enterprises.
Final Thoughts
Concluding his remarks, Ibrahim Muhammed stated that Nigeria’s agricultural future will depend largely on how well the country protects both farmers and the economic value of farming.
According to him, farmers need more than seeds and fertilizers. They need:
- fair pricing systems,
- reliable market intelligence,
- storage infrastructure,
- digital tools,
- and stronger economic protection mechanisms.
“When farmers are protected, food systems become stronger. When food systems become stronger, economies become more stable,” Ibrahim Muhammed concluded.
He stressed that the conversation around agriculture in Nigeria must move beyond simply increasing food production to building smarter and more sustainable agricultural markets capable of creating long-term wealth, stability and national prosperity.
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