The Context

Agriculture remains the base of the Nigerian economy despite its heavy dependence on oil for decades. Majority of the population now estimated at close 180 million depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Like in other parts of West Africa, Nigeria’s agriculture is experiencing challenges related to the low adoption of innovative technologies, the high cost of agri-inputs, poor access to credit, inadequate storage facilities, poor access to markets, and low levels of irrigation. These factors have been a drag on achieving the desired productivity levels that can guarantee the food and nutrition security of the people.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the completion of the World Bank-funded National Agricultural Research Project in 1998 plunged Niger’s agricultural research into severe financial crisis lasting more than a decade. Since 2009, agricultural research capacity and investment levels have gradually begun to recover, in large part due to another World Bank loan-funded project, WAAPP, which is intended to support the country’s livestock research; various capacity building initiatives; and the generation, dissemination, and adoption of new technologies.

CORAF’s work in Nigeria

CORAF works hand-in-hand with the national agricultural research systems of Nigeria as well as the Regional Center of Specialization on Aquaculture to devise science and technology solutions to enable agriculture actors to deal with some of these challenges for Nigeria and the entire West African region.

Agriculture Research and Development in Nigeria

The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) is a public entity placed under the Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development. It is responsible for the coordination of agricultural research activities in Nigeria. It works in collaboration with CORAF to generate research solutions that are not only adaptable to Nigeria but also to the entire West African region such as in aquaculture.

The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria is the leading research institute in Nigeria.