Agriculture
Harvesting the Heartland
Nigeria depends on food imports to feed its rapidly growing population, but government officials have plans to strengthen the agricultural industry, turning the country self-sufficient, creating new sources of employment, and building a more diverse and resilient economy. Institutional reforms are underway to increase agricultural productivity using new technologies and land practices, with the long-term goal of reshaping the way the country thinks about land. It will be a difficult task, but there are precedents: India, for example, has gone from experiencing severe food shortages in the 1950s to becoming an agricultural exporter. Adding to the importance of agricultural development is its effect on the social fabric of the country. A nation, like an army, marches on its stomach, and improving access to food will raise human capital and alleviate social turmoil, building a path to a better future.
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