Agricultural Revival Strategies: An Appraisal of the Nigerian Experience (Report‪)‬

Abstract This paper examines agricultural revival efforts in Nigeria over the years. This is against the backdrop of the declining performance of the sector given the country's potential and the important role agriculture plays in economic development. The study observes that the sector hitherto dominated the economy especially as a source of development capital but soon gave way to crude oil. This development adversely affected agricultural production. In recognition of the implications of this for the macro-economy, several revival efforts/strategies targeting key areas, including infrastructures provision, extension services, input supply, credit and marketing, were put in place. The revival efforts were influenced by the agricultural policy objectives and the macroeconomic management framework in existence. However, the efforts were constrained by various factors ranging from socio-economic to institutional and structural. Problems thus persist in the sector, which militate against the attainment of its potential. In other words, the sector is still fraught with problems and the revival strategies and efforts have only marginally affected activities in the sector. Thus the sector's performance has remained dismal vis-a-vis the country's potential.