Commodity.ng co-founder calls for a data-driven agricultural revolution to unlock food security

Commodity.ng co-founder calls for a data-driven agricultural revolution to unlock food security, economic growth and millions of jobs

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria must place agriculture at the centre of its national reform agenda if it hopes to achieve lasting food security, reduce poverty, create jobs and build a resilient economy, Ibrahim Muhammed (IBM) Bangis, a chartered accountant and co-founder of Commodity.ng, has said.

Speaking during an online course titled “How to Reform Agriculture in Nigeria,” Bangis argued that agricultural reform should no longer be treated as a secondary policy concern but as one of the most urgent priorities of the Nigerian government.

According to him, Nigeria’s agricultural challenges are not simply the result of insufficient production but also of weak market intelligence, inadequate infrastructure, fragmented value chains and the absence of reliable, accessible data to guide decisions.

“Agriculture is not merely a sector of the economy; it is the foundation of our food security, rural prosperity, industrial development and national stability. If Nigeria is serious about economic reform, agriculture must be at the top of that agenda,” Bangis said.

Beyond farming: Reforming the entire agricultural system

Bangis noted that Nigeria possesses enormous agricultural potential, including vast arable land, a youthful population, diverse climatic conditions and a strong domestic market. Yet farmers continue to face significant barriers that prevent them from translating this potential into sustainable prosperity.

He stressed that agricultural reform must go beyond distributing fertilisers, providing loans or encouraging farmers to cultivate more land.

“Giving farmers inputs without fixing the systems that determine what they produce, where they sell, how they transport their goods and what prices they receive is an incomplete intervention. We must reform the entire agricultural value chain, from production to consumption.”

He called for coordinated government action in areas such as rural infrastructure, irrigation, storage, processing, agricultural financing, extension services, market access and investment in technology.

Bangis also urged policymakers to recognise agriculture as a strategic economic sector capable of supporting manufacturing, expanding exports, reducing food imports and generating employment for millions of Nigerians.

Data: The missing infrastructure of Nigerian agriculture

A central theme of Bangis’s presentation was the importance of data in transforming agriculture.

He argued that reliable agricultural data should be treated as critical national infrastructure, just like roads, electricity and telecommunications.

Without accurate information about commodity prices, production volumes, weather conditions, demand patterns, transportation costs and market availability, farmers and investors are forced to make decisions based largely on assumptions.

“Imagine asking a farmer to invest millions of naira in production without giving that farmer reliable information about market demand, prevailing prices or the cost of moving produce to market. That is not an efficient agricultural system. It is a system that exposes farmers to unnecessary risks,” he said.

Bangis explained that accessible, timely market information could help farmers determine what to grow, when to plant, where to sell and how to negotiate better prices. It could also help processors identify reliable sources of raw materials, enable traders to make informed purchasing decisions and give investors a clearer understanding of opportunities across agricultural value chains.

He emphasised that data-driven agriculture could reduce information asymmetry, strengthen transparency and limit the exploitation of farmers by intermediaries who benefit from farmers’ lack of access to market information.

Building a national agricultural intelligence system

Bangis called for the development of a comprehensive national agricultural data infrastructure that integrates information from farms, local markets, commodity exchanges, weather stations, transport networks, processors and government agencies.

Such a system, he said, should provide regularly updated and geographically specific information on commodity prices, production estimates, supply and demand, climate conditions and logistics.

He advocated stronger collaboration between the government, technology companies, research institutions, farmer associations and private-sector operators to build and maintain this infrastructure.

He also stressed that agricultural data must be accessible and useful to ordinary farmers, not confined to government reports or expensive platforms.

“Data only creates value when people can use it. A farmer in a rural community should be able to access the same essential market intelligence that a major commodity trader or investor uses to make decisions,” Bangis said.

He noted that digital platforms could deliver this information through mobile applications, SMS, community extension networks and other channels suited to farmers’ levels of connectivity and digital literacy.

From food insecurity to economic opportunity

Bangis maintained that a properly reformed agricultural sector could become one of Nigeria’s strongest engines of economic diversification.

He argued that better market information and more efficient value chains would encourage investment in processing, storage, transportation, agricultural technology and export-oriented production.

He further noted that reducing post-harvest losses, improving price transparency and connecting producers directly with buyers could increase farmers’ incomes while improving the availability and affordability of food for consumers.

For Nigeria’s young people, he said, agriculture must be repositioned as a modern, technology-enabled business rather than an occupation associated only with subsistence farming.

“Reforming agriculture is not just about producing more food. It is about creating an economy in which farmers earn more, businesses invest with confidence, young people find meaningful opportunities and consumers have access to affordable food.”

A call for urgent government action

Concluding his presentation, Bangis urged the Nigerian government to establish agriculture as a central pillar of its economic reform programme, supported by measurable targets, transparent implementation and sustained investment.

He called for a national agricultural data strategy, stronger coordination among relevant institutions, improved rural infrastructure and policies that encourage private-sector innovation and investment.

He also emphasised that reforms must be designed around the realities of farmers and agricultural businesses, with clear mechanisms for measuring their impact.

“Nigeria does not lack agricultural potential. What we urgently need is the commitment to build the systems that will unlock it. The future of Nigerian agriculture will depend not only on how much we produce, but on how intelligently we produce, distribute, finance and trade.”

For Bangis, the message is clear: Nigeria’s agricultural transformation must begin with a fundamental shift in priorities — placing agriculture at the forefront of national reform and making reliable data the foundation of every major decision across the sector.