(a) Explain any four problems facing Agriculture in Nigeria (b) Highlight three effects of these problems on the economic development of Nigeria (c) How can...

(a) Four problems facing agriculture in Nigeria

• Poor and outdated methods: most farming is done on small scattered plots with simple tools (hoes and cutlasses) and little mechanisation, keeping output low.
• Inadequate finance and inputs: shortage of credit, improved seeds, fertilizers and modern machinery limits production and expansion.
• Poor storage, processing and transport: bad rural roads and lack of storage/processing facilities cause heavy post-harvest losses and difficulty in getting produce to market.
• Land tenure problems: the fragmented, inherited land-holding system makes it hard to acquire large blocks of land for commercial farming.
• Unfavourable natural factors: pests, diseases, drought, flooding and declining soil fertility reduce yields, while rural-urban migration causes a shortage of farm labour.

(b) Three effects of these problems on economic development

• Low food production and food insecurity: insufficient food raises prices, causes hunger and forces costly food imports that drain foreign exchange.
• Shortage of industrial raw materials: agro-based industries lack enough raw materials, slowing industrial growth and causing under-utilisation of factories.
• Reduced income and foreign exchange: low exports of cash crops lower farmers' incomes and government revenue, worsening rural poverty and unemployment.

(c) How the problems can be solved

• Provide agricultural credit, subsidies and inputs (improved seeds, fertilizers, machinery) to farmers.
• Encourage mechanised and large-scale commercial farming and reform the land tenure system.
• Build storage, processing and good rural roads, and establish stable markets and price support.
• Provide irrigation, pest and disease control, and extension/education services to raise and stabilise yields.
• Make farming attractive to the young through incentives to reduce rural-urban migration.