Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of Nigeria's economy, yet many young people are not interested in farming. Some see farming as hard labour, while others believe it is meant for poor people or the older generation.
But here is the big question: If everybody wants to eat, why are so many young people running away from the business of producing food?
Let's discuss the major reasons and the opportunities many young people may be overlooking.
1. The wrong mindset about farming:
Many young people grew up seeing farmers struggle under the sun with hoes, cutlasses, and other traditional tools. As a result, they associate farming with suffering rather than business.
Some believe that farming is only for people who could not get an education or find better jobs.
The truth is that Agriculture is not just about planting crops. It is a business that involves production, processing, storage, transportation, marketing, and distribution. Young people can use education, technology, and business skills to make it profitable.
2. Lack of startup capital:
Many young people want to start farming but do not have enough money to acquire land, buy seedlings, purchase tools, pay workers, or transport their produce to the market.
Unlike some small businesses that can start with limited equipment, certain farming activities require significant investment before the first harvest.
The opportunity: Young people can begin on a small scale, partner with landowners, join farming cooperatives, or start with crops that suit their available resources. They can also explore agricultural grants and legitimate financing programmes.
3. Fear of losing money:
Farming involves risks. Too much rain, drought, pests, diseases, theft, and fluctuating market prices can cause serious losses.
A young person who invests money in a crop and loses the harvest may find it difficult to start again.
The solution: Learn before investing. Start with a manageable farm, understand the crop's growing season, seek agricultural extension advice, and identify buyers before harvesting.
4. The desire for quick money:
Many young people want to earn money immediately. They may prefer jobs or businesses that generate daily income rather than wait several months for crops to mature.
For example, some varieties of cassava take many months to mature, while plantain may take a year or longer, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
The lesson: Farming requires patience and planning. However, some agricultural activities, such as selling vegetables, raising certain livestock, or trading agricultural produce, can generate income sooner than long-cycle crop farming.
5. Lack of access to land:
Land is a major challenge for many aspiring farmers. Some young people cannot afford to buy land, while others face difficulties securing land with clear ownership or reliable access to water and roads.
The opportunity: Farming does not always require buying land. Depending on local arrangements, young people can lease land, partner with landowners, use family land with permission, or grow suitable crops in containers and small spaces.
6. Poor access to modern farming technology:
Some young people think farming must involve endless manual labour because they have not seen how modern agricultural methods work.
Today, suitable machinery, irrigation systems, improved seeds, soil testing, mobile technology, and better storage methods can help farmers improve productivity.
The challenge is that these tools may be expensive or unavailable in some rural communities.
The lesson: Agriculture can become more attractive when young people have access to training, affordable equipment, technology, and reliable infrastructure.
7. Lack of encouragement and agricultural education:
Some young people are encouraged to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, or office workers, but rarely hear farming presented as a serious business opportunity.
When agriculture is taught only as a school subject instead of a practical business, students may fail to see how they can earn a living from it.
The solution: Schools, families, governments, and agricultural businesses should expose young people to successful farmers, practical training, agribusiness management, and modern farming methods.
8. Difficulty finding profitable markets:
Imagine spending months growing tomatoes only to discover that the market price has fallen sharply when it is time to sell.
This is one of the problems farmers can face. Poor roads, inadequate storage, middlemen, transportation costs, and post-harvest losses can reduce profits.
The solution: Young farmers should research demand, compare local market prices, connect with retailers and restaurants, and consider processing or storage where practical.
A farmer who understands the market has an advantage over someone who plants without knowing who will buy the harvest.
The big opportunity: Agriculture can create wealth beyond farming.
One major mistake is believing that everyone who wants to benefit from agriculture must own a large farm.
Young people can build agricultural businesses in several ways:
1. Crop production:
Grow cassava, maize, plantain, vegetables, or other crops suited to your area and available resources.
2. Food processing:
Turn raw produce into products such as garri, flour, dried vegetables, or packaged foods, following appropriate food-safety standards.
3. Agricultural trading:
Buy produce from farmers and supply households, shops, restaurants, and market traders.
4. Agricultural technology and services:
Provide farm equipment rental, irrigation services, digital marketing, produce delivery, or other services that farmers need.
What Nigeria could gain if more young people embraced agriculture.
More employment: Farms and agricultural businesses can create jobs for young people.
Improved food security: Greater productive capacity can help increase the supply of food.
More business opportunities: Processing, packaging, transportation, storage, and distribution can support new enterprises.
Rural development: Profitable agricultural businesses can create economic activity in rural communities.
Less food waste: Better storage and processing can help preserve produce that might otherwise spoil.
These benefits are not automatic. They depend on access to finance, infrastructure, markets, knowledge, security, and effective agricultural policies.
Young people should stop looking at agriculture only as an old-fashioned occupation and begin examining it as a potential business opportunity.
However, we should not blame young people alone for avoiding farming. If we want them to enter the sector, we must make farming more accessible, more productive, less risky, and more profitable.
A country that neglects agriculture risks neglecting one of its most important sources of food, employment, and enterprise.
Nigeria needs farmers, but it also needs agricultural scientists, food processors, marketers, transporters, technicians and entrepreneurs.
Let's discuss!
If you are a young Nigerian, would you choose farming as a business if you had access to land, training, startup capital, and a reliable market?
Why or why not?