Write a letter to the Chairman of your Local Government Area discussing at least, three ways in which food production can be improved in the community.
This task tests your command of the formal (official) letter: a letter written to a person you do not know socially and address by office, in this case the Chairman of a Local Government Area. Marks are awarded for content (at least three well-developed ways to improve food production), organisation (a correct and complete formal-letter format), expression (grammar, spelling, appropriate vocabulary and a respectful register) and mechanical accuracy. Below is a model answer that meets top-band requirements, followed by a note on what the examiner looks for.
Model answer
12 Farm Settlement Road,
Iseyin,
Oyo State.
17 July, 2026.
The Chairman,
Iseyin Local Government Council,
Council Secretariat,
Iseyin,
Oyo State.
Dear Sir,
WAYS OF IMPROVING FOOD PRODUCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY
I write, on behalf of the farmers of our community, to draw your attention to the poor state of food production in our area and to suggest three practical ways in which it can be improved. Ours is a farming community, yet our harvests remain small and food is often scarce and costly. With the support of your council, I am confident that this situation can be changed for the better.
The first way is the provision of modern farm inputs at subsidised rates. Most of our farmers still depend on hoes and cutlasses to work small plots, and they plant unimproved seeds that give low yields. If the council could supply improved, high-yielding seeds, fertiliser and tractors at prices that ordinary farmers can afford, they would be able to cultivate larger fields and harvest far more crops from the same land. Greater yields would mean more food for our homes and more produce to sell in the market.
The second way is the granting of soft loans and credit facilities. Many farmers are willing to expand their farms but are too poor to buy inputs or to hire the extra labour that a larger farm demands. I therefore appeal that the council work with agricultural banks and cooperative societies to grant low-interest loans to registered farmers. Such credit would allow them to clear more land, employ workers and invest in their farms, and they would repay the loans easily once their harvests improved.
The third way is the construction of good feeder roads and storage facilities. At present, a large part of what we produce spoils in the bush because the roads leading to the market are poor and there is nowhere to store crops that are not sold at once. If the council would grade good feeder roads and build simple storage barns and silos, farmers could move their produce to market quickly and preserve any surplus. This would cut down waste sharply and encourage them to grow even more.
In addition to these three measures, the council could arrange regular training programmes in which agricultural extension officers teach farmers modern methods of planting, pest control and small-scale irrigation, so that farming need no longer depend entirely on the rains.
I am confident, Sir, that if these suggestions are put into practice, our community will soon produce enough food to feed itself and a surplus to sell to neighbouring towns. I thank you most sincerely for your kind attention and look forward to a favourable response.
Yours faithfully,
Musa Adeyemi
(Secretary, Farmers' Association)
How the formal letter is marked
An examiner reading a formal letter first checks that the format is complete and correctly ordered, then rewards the quality of the content and expression. Make sure every one of the following features is present:
- Writer's address and date at the top right, with the date placed directly beneath the address. Do not write your name above the address.
- Receiver's address and designation on the left, below the writer's address, beginning with the office addressed (The Chairman,) rather than a personal name.
- Formal salutation: Dear Sir, (or Dear Sir/Madam,). Never use a first name or an informal greeting.
- A heading or title in capitals or bold that states the subject of the letter, so the reader knows its purpose at a glance.
- A clear opening paragraph that states who you are (or whom you represent) and why you are writing.
- Well-developed body paragraphs: at least three distinct ways to improve food production, each in its own paragraph and each explained, not merely listed. A named point that is developed with a reason and a likely benefit earns far more than a bare list.
- A courteous closing paragraph that summarises your request and thanks the reader.
- Matching complimentary close and signature block: because the letter opens with Dear Sir (not a name), it must close with Yours faithfully, followed by your full name; add your position in brackets where you write on behalf of a group.
Two points most often cost candidates marks. First, the close must match the salutation: Dear Sir pairs with Yours faithfully, while Yours sincerely belongs only with a named addressee such as Dear Mr Adeyemi. Second, keep the register formal throughout: use complete sentences and polite, impersonal wording, and avoid contractions such as don't or can't and any slang or over-familiar tone. A letter that is correct in format, sustains a formal tone and develops three solid, relevant points will sit comfortably in the top band.
