Apparently, one of the agreements President Tinubu signed while in Brazil includes a pact on agriculture. I hope it included facets like this

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Within four years, Nigeria needs to raise maize output from the current 10m tonnes to match Mexico’s 28m tonnes. Brazil will provide us with hybrid seedlings to help achieve this

[2] Brazil will assist Nigeria to increase tomato production from the current 4m tonnes to match Pakistan’s 16.6m tonnes

[3] Nigeria has to increase her rice production from the current 6m tonnes to match Thailand’s 25m tonnes. Brazil will supply tractors, high-yielding seedlings and processing machinery to help achieve this

[4] We need to raise sugarcane production from current 1.3m tonnes to match South Africa’s 15m tonnes. Again, Brazil will supply tractors, high-yielding seedlings and processing machinery to help achieve this

[5] Nigeria needs to raise her cocoa production from the current 328,263 tonnes to match Ghana’s 883,652 tonnes. Brazilian expertise and investment will go into the sector too

[6] Nigeria needs to raise plantain production from the current 3.09m tonnes to match Cameroon’s 4.31m tonnes

[7] Nigeria will increase pineapple production from the current 1.5m tonnes to match Costa Rica’s 2.9m tonnes

[8] We will increase timber production from the current 69m tonnes to match Indonesia’s 119m tonnes

[9] Nigeria will increase palm oil production from the current 1.2m tonnes to match Malaysia’s 20m tonnes

[10] We will raise milk production from the current 523,599 tonnes to match Pakistan’s 45.6m tonnes

This expansion plan must be accompanied by a no-nonsense value-added programme. Under no circumstances whatsoever must raw primary commodities be exported without value addition.

Surely, President Tinubu is aware of the enormity of the challenge we face. We either start agro-processing and manufacturing or we die!

ayoakinfe@gmail.com