(a) Draw a sketch map of Nigena On the map. show and name. (i) the North Central Highlands (ii) the rivers Niger and Benue (b) Name two export crops and fou...

(a) Sketch map of Nigeria

Key: the shaded area represents the North Central Highlands (Jos Plateau). The Rivers Niger and Benue are shown, with their confluence at Lokoja.

(b) Crops of the North Central Highlands

Export crops:

1. Cotton
2. Groundnut

Food crops:

1. Maize
2. Millet
3. Guinea corn
4. Rice

Other acceptable food crops include yam, beans, tomatoes, onions and Irish potatoes.

(c) Description of the North Central Highlands

(i) Agricultural activities

1. Food crops such as maize, millet, guinea corn, rice, yam and beans are cultivated.
2. Cash crops, especially cotton and groundnut, are grown.
3. The relatively cool conditions on the Jos Plateau favour Irish potatoes, vegetables and some temperate crops.
4. Mixed farming, mixed cropping and crop rotation are widely practised.
5. Cattle, sheep and goats are reared; poultry keeping is also important.
6. Irrigation farming is carried out in river valleys during the dry season.
7. Some farm produce, such as groundnut, cotton, tomatoes and grains, is processed locally.

(ii) Problems of development

1. The rugged and dissected relief makes the construction of roads, railways and other facilities difficult and expensive.
2. Soils are often thin, leached or eroded, while land damaged by tin mining reduces agricultural productivity.
3. Overgrazing and bush burning encourage soil erosion and land degradation.
4. Farming is mainly subsistence-based, with inadequate capital, machinery, improved seeds and storage facilities.
5. Pests, crop diseases and livestock diseases reduce output.
6. Rural-to-urban migration causes shortage of farm labour.
7. Poor transport links and long distances to major markets increase the cost of moving farm produce.
8. Seasonal rainfall, dry-season water shortage and occasional flooding restrict agricultural development in some areas.