Stakeholders, including researchers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and farmers, have expressed concern over the inadequate application of agricultural research for sustainable food production in Nigeria.
Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Dr. Eze Onyekpere, said that the recent budget allocations for the agricultural sector indicate that agricultural research institutions receive substantial funding; therefore, research outcomes must benefit local farmers.
He expressed this at a two-day National Workshop on Improving Viability and Linkages Between Agriculture Research, Extension Services, and Farming for Food Value Chain on Monday, in Abuja, organised by the CSJ in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
He said, “As someone who works on the public budget, which is taxpayers’ money, I’ve done a lot of work around the votes of the Ministry of Agriculture, and I saw that the research institutes are taking up a good part of the funding that goes to the ministry. Therefore, the Nigerian taxpayer pays researchers, and those payments must serve a purpose.
“It is not for mere advertising. We are not paying researchers to research for the sake of research. We are paying researchers so that they can improve the value chain of our food, making it more productive and adding more value.”
Onyekpere pointed out that Nigerians are facing hunger, and this can be addressed through the effective dissemination of research output to farmers, who can then apply it to achieve the best results.
According to him, the aim of agricultural research is to enhance productivity, increase yields per hectare, address prevalent pests and crop diseases across Nigeria, and boost the value chain. Therefore, “We need to find out where the challenges are.”
“The derivative value chain of cassava is about $189 billion worldwide. Nigeria contributes between 16 per cent and 20 per cent of the total raw cassava production. Furthermore, our yield per hectare is about 30% of those doing better but producing less. We are capturing less than 1% of that $189 billion.”
The Country Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Sophie von Knebel, noted that at least 70 per cent of farmers, especially smallholder farmers, are women.
She stressed the importance of ensuring research outcomes, as she stated it do not sit on shelves or remain in academic journals but are translated into real-world solutions that meet farmers’ needs, particularly smallholder women who are the backbone of Nigeria’s food systems.
She said, “The challenges confronting Nigerian agriculture are well documented, including limited access to finance, weak extension structures, poor adoption of research outputs, and a persistent disconnect between innovation and implementation.
“Yet, within these challenges lie tremendous opportunities; opportunities to take immediate, practical actions that can transform how knowledge is generated, shared, and applied.”
She urged other partners to join efforts in closing the gap between research and practice.
“Let us commit to solutions that are not only impactful but also implementable in the short term and sustainable in the long run – what we call the low-hanging fruit,” she added.
In her remarks, Fatima Bala-Gummi, President of the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), emphasised that research outcomes are vital for boosting crop yields and reducing labour, especially for SWOFON members.
Represented by the organisation’s National Public Relations Officer, Marka Abbas, she said, “Effective linkages between agricultural research institutions and farmers will bring changes in our farming system for better food production and a stronger food value chain.”
“SWOFON faces many challenges as small farmers, so I hope we will see changes and find solutions to some of these issues.”
Additionally, Dr. Nnemeka Ihegwaogu, representative of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and Assistant Director of Research, assured that the council is collaborating with all agricultural research institutions under its jurisdiction to strengthen extension services for research outcomes, aiming to increase food production and promote sustainability.
She stated, “The ARCN has been working over the years as a leader in agricultural research in Nigeria and is aligning with the renewed hope agenda of the current government to improve the dissemination of research technology as generated by the institutions under it.
“We ensure that every research institute has an extension department and agricultural outreach centres where schools and villages are adopted as part of efforts to disseminate our research.”
