From Kano to Katsnia to Zamfara and beyond. The sight of endless farmlands on both sides of the road is just amazing.
Despite this level of agricultural productivity, there still seem to be a high level of poverty in the North. This is what confuses me. The world can live without crude oil but cannot live without food. The people in food business are suppose to be more comfortable and self-sustaining than the oil-business people. Yet in Nigeria, it is the reverse.
According to CBN statistics, Nigeria spends N1Billion daily importing rice alone. That is N365Billion annually for rice only. The North is now positioned to have a majority share in this business. If you add all the agricultural produce of the North and check the statistics and the cash flow, you will see that the North has no relationship with poverty. Another statistic shows that Nigeria spends N24Trillion annually on food consumption. If the North dominates the agriculture sector, then they have no relationship with poverty.
