Nigeria’s agriculture sector recorded a turnover of N101.46 trillion in 2025, up from N96.46 trillion in 2024, according to the latest Gross Domestic Product figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.
This performance reflected a 5.18 per cent increase in the sector’s nominal contribution to GDP year-on-year, underpinned by stronger investment activity and favourable policy conditions that boosted confidence among private investors.
Punch Newspapers Crop production remained the dominant contributor, generating N64.41 trillion, followed by livestock at N25.66 trillion, forestry at N6.47 trillion, and fishing at N4.92 trillion, collectively accounting for the aggregate turnover.
In the previous year, crop production, livestock, forestry, and fishing generated N61.92 trillion, N24.80 trillion, N5.28 trillion, and N4.46 trillion respectively, with the overall sector posting N96.46 trillion in turnover.
In real terms, agriculture grew by 4.00 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025, surpassing the 2.54 per cent growth recorded in the same period of 2024, and the sector accounted for 27.55 per cent of Nigeria’s total economic output for the year.
Stakeholders attributed the improved performance largely to increased private sector investments and policy stimuli, including importation waivers that persisted through 2024 into 2025.
The Chairman of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Agriculture and Allied Group, Tunde Banjoko, said investments flowed into processing, palm and cocoa plantations, and related value chains, bolstering investor interest and supporting growth.
However, he cautioned that some import policies had unintended effects, such as crashing local food prices and disincentivising smallholder farmers, because cheaper imports undercut local market prices.
Economic analysts urged policymakers to rebalance support toward local producers while sustaining investor confidence, suggesting frameworks that guarantee benchmark prices for farmers at harvest to protect incomes even as imports continue.
In a policy brief, the Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise highlighted the trade-offs between food affordability for consumers and farmer income stability, noting that surges in staple crop imports had weakened incentives for local production and undermined broader food security objectives.
image Credit: Punch.ng
Source :Punch Newspapers
