Post by Trade Coach on Dec 31, 2021 17:35:00 GMT 1
Poverty Alleviation simply means reducing or relieving poverty. But so many people do not really know what poverty means.
Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty.
So what is poverty? A lot of people know poverty as the lack of money. Yes, poverty means being poor and poverty is not about lacking money, Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money.
The World Bank Organization said:
“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, it is fear for the future, living one day at a time.
Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, and has been described in many ways. Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape. So poverty is a call to action -- for the poor and the wealthy alike -- a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.”
Being poor doesn't necessarily mean being jobless or not having a source of income or wearing tattered clothes or not having a mobile vehicle or not being a house owner like most people think. You can have a paid job and still be poor, you could be a house owner and still be poor because this is what poverty basically is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can't be met. Poverty-stricken people and families might go without proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and medical attention.
With that being said, let's look at how agriculture can alleviate poverty in Nigeria;
First off, Agriculture is at the center of the Nigerian economy, providing the main source of livelihood for the majority of Nigerians. Nigeria's agricultural sector employs about 70% of the entire country’s labor force. Nigeria’s small farms produce about 80 percent of the total food and about 33% of this country’s land is under cultivation for this purpose. Nigeria is the leading African country in farming because it has the highest levels of productivity and profitability in this particular sector. Agriculture in Nigeria is the foundation of the economy and this fact is based on lots of evidence that agriculture can contribute greatly to poverty reduction beyond a direct effect on farmer's incomes. Agricultural development can stimulate economic development outside of the agricultural sector, and lead to higher job and growth creation. Increased productivity of agriculture raises farm incomes, increases food supply, reduces food prices, and provides greater employment opportunities in both rural and urban areas. Higher incomes can increase the consumer demand for goods and services produced by sectors other than agriculture.
Nigeria is as big as two or even three of the sizes of some African countries combined with over 200 million people. We depend on produce from the local farms for daily meals as more than 80% of Nigerians buy farm produce from the market. This country is at a huge advantage in terms of agriculture profitability because of the huge demand for farm produce. Nigeria has the benefit of having large stretches of fertile land available to cultivate. This country has one of the largest expanses of land in Africa with more than 900 thousand square kilometers and 70% of it is able to be cultivated to produce sustenance for the Nigeria population. This land provides Nigeria with practically an unlimited source of farming food crops, export crops, raising livestock, providing agricultural products and jobs for the people.
Agricultural productivity can therefore be seen as a first step or engine of growth leading to greater income for a country. It is interesting to note that historically no poor countries have reduced poverty only through agriculture, but almost none have achieved it without increasing agricultural productivity in the first instance. Agricultural growth is an essential complement to growth in other sectors. And studies have shown extensively that rapid and sustainable progress to reduce extreme poverty is next to impossible except where agricultural productivity increases and income increases for poor farmers.
On a general note worldwide, it is difficult for any nation to survive without agriculture and agricultural activities, not just because it is a source of food, but because it is connected directly or indirectly to the production of all basic human needs.
Some benefits of Agriculture to the economy includes:
Agriculture for food production:
The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Agriculture, what comes to mind is farming, food production.
Agriculture for the Production of export crops:
In 2018, the total value of exported agricultural produce was about N85.9 billion. In the previous quarter of 2018, agriculture contributed N73.25 billion so there was a quarter growth of 17.3%. Produce such as ginger, beans, sesame seeds, and cashew nuts, constituted export goods, with cashew nuts in shells as the leading agricultural export product.
Nigeria is blessed with 82 million hectares of arable land, and is currently the largest producer of cassava, rice, and yam, and 2nd largest producer of cassava and ginger.
Agriculture for the creation of employment:
Production, harvesting, transport, processing, distribution, packaging, and retail marketing activities make up the agricultural value chain. Human labor supervises these stages to ensure a smooth flow and that is how agriculture creates job opportunities. The Agriculture sector is the largest sector in the Nigerian economy, employing about two thirds of the nation’s labor force. About 70% of the Nigerian population engages in agriculture at a subsistence level. However, the general misconception that agriculture is a labor intensive sector tends to discourage people from taking part. However, with the modernization of agriculture, this notion is gradually being put to rest.
Agriculture for raw material:
One of the most important benefits of agriculture is that it serves as a pillar for many other industries. Without agriculture, they may not be able to survive. This is because agricultural products serve as raw materials for the production of many items.
The basic needs for human survival; food, shelter, and clothing, are all dependent on agriculture for their production. Raw materials such as crops for food, silk for cloth, and wood for shelter, all come from agriculture.
Similarly, other industries such as the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and rubber production all rely on raw materials from agricultural products. Safe to say that agriculture runs the world.
Agro tourism:
Nigeria is blessed with agro tourism locations such as the Yankari National Park, Obudu Mountain Resort, Kainji National Park, Lekki Conservation Center, Gurara Waterfalls, and many others.
These tourist destinations, if properly managed, can be beneficial to the national economy by injecting cash into the agricultural system. This is because tourists contribute to the sales, profits, tax, and income of a country through hotel lodging, feeding, and transportation.
Asides from contributing to the economy, agro tourism also leads to global recognition, creation of employment opportunities, preservation of local culture, promotion and sales of local products, both locally and internationally.
Entrepreneurial and investment opportunities:
Agriculture presents opportunities for entrepreneurship through various ventures such as honey making, beef making, poultry farming, and many others. Some of these ventures are low capital and high interest endeavors.
There are many opportunities for agricultural investment. This ranges from tangible investments such as crop and animal production, to intangible ones such as stocks, futures, and bonds.
Economic diversification:
With the income from oil declining in Nigeria, the nation is seeking economic diversification and the agricultural sector is a good substitute.
One of the ways agriculture aids economic diversification is through production of export products. Today, Agriculture remains the leading non-oil sector of the nation’s economy, providing nearly 70% of non-oil exports.
Some other ways economic diversification through agriculture can be achieved are by utilization of technology in the sector to achieve maximum output, financing indigenous farmers for productivity, and engagement of youths in agricultural practices.
Notes:
So many people are cashing out big time from agriculture. You do not necessarily need to handle farm tools and implements to be a farmer. You could invest in the agricultural sector, you could be a retailer, you could be a middle-man, you could own a farm and have people tending to it. You could be an exporter, and it doesn't take as much people think to become an exporter...you don't need to become a millionaire to be an exporter. There's so much to do in agriculture. From as little as planting pepper in your compound and supplying people in the markets...
Based on the type of agricultural product you decide to go into, agriculture is one of the cheapest and easiest businesses anyone can venture into. All you need is interest, and the rest goes on from there.
Problems affecting the agricultural sector in Nigeria
The challenges of agriculture in Nigeria can never be overemphasized. In Nigeria, agriculture is one of the foundations of the Nigerian economy. It is under the non-oil sector that contributes to the economic growth of the country. But sadly, there have been so many factors hindering the success of agriculture in the country.
Lack and poor Implementation of Government Policies
This is the root of all agricultural problems in the country. The policies the government put down has a long way to go in expanding the agricultural sector in the country. It is the responsibility of the government to establish strategies for the growth of agriculture in the country. In the past years, there have been good policies created by the government to improve agricultural productivity but without correct and proper implementation. Non-Implementation of Government Policies.
Lack of Modernization and Mechanization
A largest number of Nigerian farmers are in rural areas, and the majority of them have no access to modern farming equipment because these tools are usually expensive and not easily accessible. So they still make use of crude equipment for farming to save money thereby being the reason for low productivity. If the government can put more effort into making these much needed tools and equipment easily accessible and affordable to boost efficiency for faster and healthy practices, there would be a greater change and growth in the agricultural sector in productivity.
Illiteracy
Majority of Nigerian farmers do not have basic education on agriculture and agricultural practices and they usually only just know how to farm and rear livestock from knowledge that was passed down to them from generations down, using primitive tools and methods. Unlike in developed countries and some developing nations where farmers have access to educational facilities and resources to help them keep up with changing practices and innovations to upgrade their agricultural practices.
But sadly, the majority of the Nigerian farmers do not have access these facilities and resources to these information
Ignorance
One of the things that kill people literally is ignorance. Many people see farming as a poor man's career Agriculture is greatly undermined and overlooked by the Nigerians. It is seen as a path for the old, illiterates and poor people in rural areas. Most Nigerians, especially youths, prefer to look for a white-collar job than rolling up their sleeves and dirty their hands on the farms despite the fact there is a scarcity of white-collar jobs in the country. Not knowing the billions buried in agriculture.
Lack of Funds
Funding is and has always been the problem of any sector just like in agriculture as well which constitutes a major setback to the development of agriculture in Nigeria. To be a successful farmer in the country, one needs money to start and stay in the business because there are so many difficulties encountered by farmers which put them in situations where they need funds to enable them to expand and improve productivity. And even though billions of naira are allotted to the agricultural sector in the country every year, farmers are still unable to access funding to expand.
Poor Infrastructure/ Lack of Social Amenities
Lack of social amenities and poor infrastructures is another issue limiting the success of agriculture in the country. As we mentioned above, most farmers in Nigeria reside in remote areas, where basic amenities like water, electricity, good road networks etc are lacking, which makes their already difficult agricultural practices even more difficult.
Absence of Modern Storage/Processing Facilities
The bulk of food crops produced in Nigeria are perishables and studies show that about 80% of foods produced by Nigerian farmers go bad due to lack of modern storage facilities like silos, silage, barns etc. Farm produce is degraded and destroyed by pests, weather and climate conditions.
And the list goes on. But with this article, we can all see that there is something for everyone in agriculture. Whether it's as a farmer, an investor, a livestock rearer, an exporter, a retailer etc, there's a whole lot one can choose to do. And knowing some of the challenges involved, you can take one of these disadvantages and find ways to improve on them and own that business.
Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty.
So what is poverty? A lot of people know poverty as the lack of money. Yes, poverty means being poor and poverty is not about lacking money, Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money.
The World Bank Organization said:
“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, it is fear for the future, living one day at a time.
Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, and has been described in many ways. Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape. So poverty is a call to action -- for the poor and the wealthy alike -- a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.”
Being poor doesn't necessarily mean being jobless or not having a source of income or wearing tattered clothes or not having a mobile vehicle or not being a house owner like most people think. You can have a paid job and still be poor, you could be a house owner and still be poor because this is what poverty basically is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can't be met. Poverty-stricken people and families might go without proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and medical attention.
With that being said, let's look at how agriculture can alleviate poverty in Nigeria;
First off, Agriculture is at the center of the Nigerian economy, providing the main source of livelihood for the majority of Nigerians. Nigeria's agricultural sector employs about 70% of the entire country’s labor force. Nigeria’s small farms produce about 80 percent of the total food and about 33% of this country’s land is under cultivation for this purpose. Nigeria is the leading African country in farming because it has the highest levels of productivity and profitability in this particular sector. Agriculture in Nigeria is the foundation of the economy and this fact is based on lots of evidence that agriculture can contribute greatly to poverty reduction beyond a direct effect on farmer's incomes. Agricultural development can stimulate economic development outside of the agricultural sector, and lead to higher job and growth creation. Increased productivity of agriculture raises farm incomes, increases food supply, reduces food prices, and provides greater employment opportunities in both rural and urban areas. Higher incomes can increase the consumer demand for goods and services produced by sectors other than agriculture.
Nigeria is as big as two or even three of the sizes of some African countries combined with over 200 million people. We depend on produce from the local farms for daily meals as more than 80% of Nigerians buy farm produce from the market. This country is at a huge advantage in terms of agriculture profitability because of the huge demand for farm produce. Nigeria has the benefit of having large stretches of fertile land available to cultivate. This country has one of the largest expanses of land in Africa with more than 900 thousand square kilometers and 70% of it is able to be cultivated to produce sustenance for the Nigeria population. This land provides Nigeria with practically an unlimited source of farming food crops, export crops, raising livestock, providing agricultural products and jobs for the people.
Agricultural productivity can therefore be seen as a first step or engine of growth leading to greater income for a country. It is interesting to note that historically no poor countries have reduced poverty only through agriculture, but almost none have achieved it without increasing agricultural productivity in the first instance. Agricultural growth is an essential complement to growth in other sectors. And studies have shown extensively that rapid and sustainable progress to reduce extreme poverty is next to impossible except where agricultural productivity increases and income increases for poor farmers.
On a general note worldwide, it is difficult for any nation to survive without agriculture and agricultural activities, not just because it is a source of food, but because it is connected directly or indirectly to the production of all basic human needs.
Some benefits of Agriculture to the economy includes:
Agriculture for food production:
The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Agriculture, what comes to mind is farming, food production.
Agriculture for the Production of export crops:
In 2018, the total value of exported agricultural produce was about N85.9 billion. In the previous quarter of 2018, agriculture contributed N73.25 billion so there was a quarter growth of 17.3%. Produce such as ginger, beans, sesame seeds, and cashew nuts, constituted export goods, with cashew nuts in shells as the leading agricultural export product.
Nigeria is blessed with 82 million hectares of arable land, and is currently the largest producer of cassava, rice, and yam, and 2nd largest producer of cassava and ginger.
Agriculture for the creation of employment:
Production, harvesting, transport, processing, distribution, packaging, and retail marketing activities make up the agricultural value chain. Human labor supervises these stages to ensure a smooth flow and that is how agriculture creates job opportunities. The Agriculture sector is the largest sector in the Nigerian economy, employing about two thirds of the nation’s labor force. About 70% of the Nigerian population engages in agriculture at a subsistence level. However, the general misconception that agriculture is a labor intensive sector tends to discourage people from taking part. However, with the modernization of agriculture, this notion is gradually being put to rest.
Agriculture for raw material:
One of the most important benefits of agriculture is that it serves as a pillar for many other industries. Without agriculture, they may not be able to survive. This is because agricultural products serve as raw materials for the production of many items.
The basic needs for human survival; food, shelter, and clothing, are all dependent on agriculture for their production. Raw materials such as crops for food, silk for cloth, and wood for shelter, all come from agriculture.
Similarly, other industries such as the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and rubber production all rely on raw materials from agricultural products. Safe to say that agriculture runs the world.
Agro tourism:
Nigeria is blessed with agro tourism locations such as the Yankari National Park, Obudu Mountain Resort, Kainji National Park, Lekki Conservation Center, Gurara Waterfalls, and many others.
These tourist destinations, if properly managed, can be beneficial to the national economy by injecting cash into the agricultural system. This is because tourists contribute to the sales, profits, tax, and income of a country through hotel lodging, feeding, and transportation.
Asides from contributing to the economy, agro tourism also leads to global recognition, creation of employment opportunities, preservation of local culture, promotion and sales of local products, both locally and internationally.
Entrepreneurial and investment opportunities:
Agriculture presents opportunities for entrepreneurship through various ventures such as honey making, beef making, poultry farming, and many others. Some of these ventures are low capital and high interest endeavors.
There are many opportunities for agricultural investment. This ranges from tangible investments such as crop and animal production, to intangible ones such as stocks, futures, and bonds.
Economic diversification:
With the income from oil declining in Nigeria, the nation is seeking economic diversification and the agricultural sector is a good substitute.
One of the ways agriculture aids economic diversification is through production of export products. Today, Agriculture remains the leading non-oil sector of the nation’s economy, providing nearly 70% of non-oil exports.
Some other ways economic diversification through agriculture can be achieved are by utilization of technology in the sector to achieve maximum output, financing indigenous farmers for productivity, and engagement of youths in agricultural practices.
Notes:
So many people are cashing out big time from agriculture. You do not necessarily need to handle farm tools and implements to be a farmer. You could invest in the agricultural sector, you could be a retailer, you could be a middle-man, you could own a farm and have people tending to it. You could be an exporter, and it doesn't take as much people think to become an exporter...you don't need to become a millionaire to be an exporter. There's so much to do in agriculture. From as little as planting pepper in your compound and supplying people in the markets...
Based on the type of agricultural product you decide to go into, agriculture is one of the cheapest and easiest businesses anyone can venture into. All you need is interest, and the rest goes on from there.
Problems affecting the agricultural sector in Nigeria
The challenges of agriculture in Nigeria can never be overemphasized. In Nigeria, agriculture is one of the foundations of the Nigerian economy. It is under the non-oil sector that contributes to the economic growth of the country. But sadly, there have been so many factors hindering the success of agriculture in the country.
Lack and poor Implementation of Government Policies
This is the root of all agricultural problems in the country. The policies the government put down has a long way to go in expanding the agricultural sector in the country. It is the responsibility of the government to establish strategies for the growth of agriculture in the country. In the past years, there have been good policies created by the government to improve agricultural productivity but without correct and proper implementation. Non-Implementation of Government Policies.
Lack of Modernization and Mechanization
A largest number of Nigerian farmers are in rural areas, and the majority of them have no access to modern farming equipment because these tools are usually expensive and not easily accessible. So they still make use of crude equipment for farming to save money thereby being the reason for low productivity. If the government can put more effort into making these much needed tools and equipment easily accessible and affordable to boost efficiency for faster and healthy practices, there would be a greater change and growth in the agricultural sector in productivity.
Illiteracy
Majority of Nigerian farmers do not have basic education on agriculture and agricultural practices and they usually only just know how to farm and rear livestock from knowledge that was passed down to them from generations down, using primitive tools and methods. Unlike in developed countries and some developing nations where farmers have access to educational facilities and resources to help them keep up with changing practices and innovations to upgrade their agricultural practices.
But sadly, the majority of the Nigerian farmers do not have access these facilities and resources to these information
Ignorance
One of the things that kill people literally is ignorance. Many people see farming as a poor man's career Agriculture is greatly undermined and overlooked by the Nigerians. It is seen as a path for the old, illiterates and poor people in rural areas. Most Nigerians, especially youths, prefer to look for a white-collar job than rolling up their sleeves and dirty their hands on the farms despite the fact there is a scarcity of white-collar jobs in the country. Not knowing the billions buried in agriculture.
Lack of Funds
Funding is and has always been the problem of any sector just like in agriculture as well which constitutes a major setback to the development of agriculture in Nigeria. To be a successful farmer in the country, one needs money to start and stay in the business because there are so many difficulties encountered by farmers which put them in situations where they need funds to enable them to expand and improve productivity. And even though billions of naira are allotted to the agricultural sector in the country every year, farmers are still unable to access funding to expand.
Poor Infrastructure/ Lack of Social Amenities
Lack of social amenities and poor infrastructures is another issue limiting the success of agriculture in the country. As we mentioned above, most farmers in Nigeria reside in remote areas, where basic amenities like water, electricity, good road networks etc are lacking, which makes their already difficult agricultural practices even more difficult.
Absence of Modern Storage/Processing Facilities
The bulk of food crops produced in Nigeria are perishables and studies show that about 80% of foods produced by Nigerian farmers go bad due to lack of modern storage facilities like silos, silage, barns etc. Farm produce is degraded and destroyed by pests, weather and climate conditions.
And the list goes on. But with this article, we can all see that there is something for everyone in agriculture. Whether it's as a farmer, an investor, a livestock rearer, an exporter, a retailer etc, there's a whole lot one can choose to do. And knowing some of the challenges involved, you can take one of these disadvantages and find ways to improve on them and own that business.