How Nigeria Can Use Agriculture to Gain Dominance Against Other Countries – IBM Bangis

How Nigeria Can Use Agriculture to Gain Dominance Against Other Countries – IBM Bangis

ABUJA – Nigeria possesses all the ingredients required to become one of the world’s leading agricultural powers, but unlocking that potential will require a deliberate shift from subsistence farming to a globally competitive agribusiness economy, according to Ibrahim Muhammed (IBM Bangis), Co-founder of Commodity.ng.

Speaking during a recent agricultural policy discussion in Abuja, IBM Bangis said agriculture should no longer be viewed merely as a means of feeding the population but as Nigeria’s strongest economic weapon for achieving regional and global influence.

According to him, countries that dominate global trade often do so by controlling strategic commodities, advanced processing industries, agricultural technology, and food supply chains—areas where Nigeria has enormous untapped potential.

“The future global superpowers will not only be those that control oil or technology; they will also be those that control food. Agriculture is becoming one of the greatest instruments of economic influence, and Nigeria has every opportunity to become Africa’s agricultural powerhouse,” he said.

Bangis noted that Nigeria is naturally endowed with over 84 million hectares of arable land, diverse climatic zones, abundant water resources, and one of the largest youthful populations in Africa.

He argued that these advantages place Nigeria in a stronger position than many countries that currently dominate global agricultural exports.

According to him, rather than exporting raw commodities at low prices, Nigeria must focus on exporting finished agricultural products with higher value.

He explained that cocoa should become chocolate, cassava should become industrial starch and ethanol, tomatoes should become processed paste, sesame should become edible oils, and oil palm should be transformed into refined palm oil, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products.

“The real wealth is not in exporting raw commodities. The real wealth lies in processing, branding, packaging, and selling finished products to international markets.”

Bangis further stated that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents one of the greatest opportunities in Nigeria’s history.

With access to a market of more than 1.3 billion people, he said Nigeria has the potential to become Africa’s leading supplier of processed food products if investments are directed toward agro-processing industries, logistics, and export infrastructure.

He urged both government and private investors to accelerate the establishment of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones across the country to connect farmers directly with factories and export markets.

According to him, value addition would not only increase export earnings but also create millions of jobs for Nigerian youths.

Bangis also stressed that technology would determine which countries dominate agriculture over the next two decades.

He said artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, drones, precision farming, climate forecasting, digital marketplaces, and data analytics should become standard tools for Nigerian farmers.

He noted that countries investing heavily in agricultural innovation are achieving higher productivity while reducing production costs.

“The next agricultural revolution will be powered by data. Farmers who understand weather patterns, market intelligence, soil conditions, and price trends will always outperform those relying on guesswork.”

The Commodity.ng co-founder identified commodity pricing transparency as another area where Nigeria could gain a competitive advantage.

He explained that farmers often lose billions of naira annually because they lack access to reliable market information.

According to him, digital commodity exchanges and real-time market intelligence platforms can empower farmers to negotiate better prices, reduce exploitation by middlemen, and improve profitability.

Bangis further called for increased investment in mechanisation, saying Nigeria still faces a significant shortage of tractors and modern farm equipment.

He argued that affordable mechanisation services would increase productivity, reduce labour shortages, and encourage more young Nigerians to participate in commercial agriculture.

He also highlighted irrigation as a strategic priority, noting that Nigeria continues to rely heavily on rainfall despite possessing vast river systems capable of supporting year-round farming.

Expanding irrigation infrastructure, he said, would stabilise food production, reduce seasonal shortages, and improve export consistency.

On agricultural financing, Bangis urged financial institutions to develop farmer-friendly credit products with lower interest rates and flexible repayment structures.

He added that insurance products tailored to agriculture would help farmers recover from climate-related losses while encouraging greater investment in commercial farming.

The agricultural entrepreneur also emphasised the importance of strengthening research institutions to develop improved seed varieties, climate-resilient crops, disease-resistant livestock breeds, and innovative farming technologies.

According to him, research should be directly connected to farmers through stronger extension services and digital advisory platforms.

Bangis said Nigeria must also invest aggressively in logistics and post-harvest infrastructure, pointing out that enormous quantities of food are lost every year due to poor storage, inadequate cold-chain facilities, and inefficient transportation systems.

Reducing post-harvest losses, he explained, would immediately increase food availability without requiring additional farmland.

He further advocated stronger support for export certification, quality assurance, traceability, and compliance with international food safety standards to enable Nigerian agricultural products compete successfully in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America.

According to him, agriculture should become a national security priority because food security, economic stability, employment, and foreign exchange earnings are closely interconnected.

“Every tonne of food we produce locally strengthens our economy. Every processed product we export earns foreign exchange. Every farmer we empower creates jobs. Agriculture is not just another sector—it is the foundation of national prosperity.”

Bangis also encouraged Nigerian youths to see agriculture as a technology-driven business rather than a traditional occupation.

He noted that opportunities now exist across the agricultural value chain, including mechanisation services, drone operations, greenhouse farming, agritech software development, commodity trading, logistics, processing, export, precision agriculture, digital finance, and climate-smart farming.

He maintained that the future of Nigeria’s economy would depend largely on how effectively the country transforms agriculture into a globally competitive industry capable of feeding Africa, supplying international markets, and generating sustainable wealth.

“Nigeria has everything required to dominate agriculture globally—fertile land, favourable climate, entrepreneurial people, and a huge domestic market. What remains is vision, execution, innovation, and consistency. If we get agriculture right, Nigeria will not only feed itself but become one of the world’s leading agricultural economies,” Bangis concluded.