Nigeria’s Journey to Food Self-Sufficiency

Nigeria's Journey to Food Self-Sufficiency: Past, Present, and Future examines one of the most pressing development challenges facing Africa's most populous nation: how to sustainably feed a rapidly growing population while preserving natural resources and strengthening economic resilience. With Nigeria's population projected to approach 400 million by 2050, food demand is expected to more than double, placing unprecedented pressure on agricultural systems, foreign exchange reserves, and national food security. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria's agricultural development from independence to the present day, examining historical policies, production trends, food import dependence, and the structural constraints that continue to limit agricultural productivity. Particular attention is given to major staple cereals—maize, rice, sorghum, millet, and wheat—which form the foundation of national food security. Using data from FAOSTAT, the Global Yield Gap Atlas, the National Bureau of Statistics, and other international databases, the book quantifies yield gaps, self-sufficiency ratios, land-use efficiency, and future production potentials. It demonstrates that Nigeria currently achieves only 30–40 percent of attainable yields for most cereals and shows how closing these yield gaps could more than triple national food production without expanding agricultural land. A major contribution of the book is the development of a National Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Program (SAIP) framework. The framework proposes practical pathways for increasing productivity through climate-resilient seeds, precision nutrient management, mechanization, irrigation, extension services, land harmonization, digital agriculture, and improved market integration. The analysis further explores the economic implications of agricultural transformation, including reductions in food imports, foreign exchange savings, job creation, poverty reduction, and climate resilience. Combining rigorous quantitative analysis with policy-oriented recommendations, the book offers a blueprint for achieving food self-sufficiency in Nigeria while contributing to broader debates on sustainable agricultural development in Africa. It will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, agricultural economists, students, international development organizations, and investors seeking evidence-based solutions to food security challenges in developing countries.