A Canadian-based food engineering expert, Professor Michael Ngadi, has called on the Federal and State Governments to prioritize smallholder farmers and processors in their agricultural policy frameworks to accelerate food security and agribusiness development in Nigeria.
Speaking during a public lecture at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Ngadi emphasized that smallholder operators remain the backbone of Nigeria’s agricultural system, yet continue to suffer from limited support, poor access to markets, and outdated farming methods.
The lecture, titled “Modernising Smallholder Agrifood Systems,” highlighted the urgent need to transform Nigeria’s agriculture from its predominantly subsistence-based structure to a modern, technology-driven sector.
Ngadi, who is a Professor of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University, Canada, said over 70 percent of Nigerians are engaged in smallholder farming, which has historically sustained the nation’s food supply. However, he warned that the sector’s potential is being undermined by lack of innovation and scale.
“Smallholder farmers are central to global food systems, especially in developing countries like Nigeria,” he said. “But they are often left behind due to limited resources, outdated practices, and minimal policy attention.”
He advocated for the deployment of appropriate-scale technologies that would equip farmers with tools to boost productivity, improve efficiency, and compete in modern value chains.
Ngadi also argued that phasing out smallholder farming in favour of large-scale mechanized agriculture is not a practical solution in Nigeria’s context, citing the country’s high farming population and fragmented land holdings.
“What we need is not elimination of smallholders, but restructuring a deliberate modernization of the smallholder system to maximize output while retaining the inclusive nature of our rural economy,” he said.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of MOUAU, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, described innovation as a non-negotiable factor in Nigeria’s pursuit of food security.
“We must rethink and refine our farming systems if we hope to meet the nutritional and economic needs of our growing population,” he said.
The lecture formed part of ongoing efforts by the university to deepen discourse on sustainable agricultural transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.
