Farming district concept: A potential approach to rapid agricultural development in Nigeria

The already precarious food and fibre production levels in Nigeria took a sharp turn for worse during the early 1970s. This paper takes diagnostic and prognostic views of policy and organizational reforms within the agricultural sector between 1960, when Nigeria became independent, and 1985. Among the reasons for the ineffectiveness of the government concerns, investments and reorganizations within the sector are: polarity between the federal, state and local governments on policy issues; alienation of farmers from programme designs and implementation; existence of artificial barriers between training, research and farmers; and the promotion of nation-wide programmes at the expense of local and ecological peculiarities. To encourage rapid agricultural development, a new eight-zone organizational structure based on a farming-district concept is proposed. Apart from the offer of quick diagnosis which this system promotes, it is based on active farmer-participation and mass involvement of the country-side dwellers. It also allows for a better organized distribution network of agricultural inputs and farm products for the benefit of producers and consumers—a system which by itself may support an agrarian revolution.