Nigeria can earn more from agriculture than from oil — Peter Obi

Former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Partypresidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has reiterated that Nigeria can generatemore revenue from agriculture than from crude oil if the nation commits topurposeful leadership, investment, and value-chain development. Obi stated this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at theSahel Food Systems Changemakers Conference 2025, organised by Sahel Consultingwith the theme “Designing for Legacy: Building Resilient and Impact-Driven FoodSystems.” The conference brought together leaders in development,agribusiness, and sustainability, including Sahel Consulting Chairman, MezueNwuneli; ONE Campaign CEO and keynote speaker, Ndidi Nwuneli; Inga Stefanowicz,Head of Section, Green Economy, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS; MichaelOjo, Country Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Dr.Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, CARE International; Lekan Tobe, CountryDirector, Heifer International; and Oladoyin Olawaiye, Deputy Country Director,GIZ. Obi, in his remarks, lamented Nigeria’s paradox ofwidespread hunger despite being blessed with vast arable land and abundanthuman capital. He said it was unacceptable that Nigerians still go to bedhungry in a country capable of feeding itself and others. “No Nigerian should go to bed hungry. Nigeria, blessed withvast arable land and human capital, should not be listed among the hungriestcountries in the world. Instead, we should be self-sufficient and exporting,”he said. Citing Bangladesh as an example, Obi noted that the Asiannation, with a land area of about 148,600 square kilometres — roughly the sizeof Niger and Borno states combined — produces almost ten times more rice thanNigeria. “This reality reflects our misplaced priorities. It is not alack of capacity, but a lack of commitment and leadership focus,” he added. Obi also visited exhibition stands featuring innovativeagri-businesses, including AACE Foods, SEM Food and Prices, Dmore Foods, andCHC Agritech Africa. He commended the entrepreneurs for their resilience andcontribution to national development, saying their work highlights theimportance of supporting small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) andbuilding strong agricultural value chains. He emphasised that with the right policies and an enablingenvironment, agriculture could surpass oil as Nigeria’s major source of income. “It is time for Nigeria to realise that we can earn morefrom agriculture than from oil. For Nigeria to rise, we must move fromconsumption to production, from dependency to productivity, and from rhetoricto action,” Obi stated. He concluded by reaffirming his belief in the nation’spotential, saying: “Our farmers, entrepreneurs, and innovators are ready. Thegovernment must simply create the enabling environment for our youths and forour nation. A new Nigeria is possible.”

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