A HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, 1987 – 2000

Agriculture is unquestionably a necessity for the expansion and development of any specific nation. This is due to the connections between agriculture and other industries, as well as between people’s economic progress and growth. Yet, agriculture entails the cultivation of land, the growing and rearing of animals for human consumption, animal feed, and industrial raw materials. Crops, cattle, forestry, and fisheries are all part of agriculture, as are the processing and selling of these agricultural goods. Agriculture can be broadly divided into four categories: crop production, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. As a result, agriculture is crucial to society in more ways than just providing food and raw materials for industry. It also creates job opportunities and serves as a source of foreign currency. Although, agricultural The colonial authority identified extension as one of the key tasks for Nigeria’s economy to take off.
The most common activity is agriculture, which provides a living for more than 25% of humanity, the raw materials for the factories on which people depend, and food for the agro-related industries. The surplus is sold to fund the purchase of other basics of life, including, but not limited to, clothing, canned food, electric stoves, refrigerators, and cookers and stoves. Without agriculture, many industries will collapse. Without food, the world is a lifeless place, notwithstanding the efforts of science and technology.

adoption of new farming equipment, scientific knowledge, and infrastructure for rural routes. Rural electrification improves food production, creates jobs, prevents rural-urban migration, raises the standard of living for rural residents, and elevates their social standing. Government methods to boost rural farmers’ farm income are created in a way that farmers’ input is enhanced using science and technology to produce more. The old regional governments of Nigeria, the North, West, East, and Mid­-west, implemented various policies and specialized methods for growing various crops inside their own borders before the 1960s. Research has demonstrated that, prior to the “oil boom,” sales of agricultural goods like cocoa, groundnut, cotton, coffee, rubber, palm oil and soya beans were Nigeria’s main source of foreign money. Nonetheless, it was noted that although though petroleum now provides the Federal Government with the majority of its foreign exchange, the sector’s revenues might potentially be far greater if suitable and persistent policies are implemented. 2
In Nigeria, the years 1960 to 1968 were characterized by a period of agricultural development. Projects were given the authority to distribute seeds, establish cooperative farmers associations and plantation units, provide extension farm centers, introduce modern farming techniques, and establish industries for processing agricultural products like cotton, groundnuts, maize, and palm oil. Between 1970 and 1980, during the second agricultural period, which was marked by wealth and the oil boom, numerous barriers to agricultural expansion emerged physical issues such a lack of motivation, a bad return, a low production yield, or a shortage of fertilizer. Unpredictable rainfall, protracted and short rain droughts, and other issues are also present. Also, there were economic issues such a lack of funding, a strong network of transportation and communication, very little or no incentives for farmers to increase their output, and issues with agricultural production due to bad marketing and cheap prices.