Professor Baba Yusuf Abubakar, former Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN)
Nigeria’s agricultural dream is collapsing quietly — not because farmers are unwilling to work, but because the country’s research institutions, the engine room of innovation, are running on empty. An investigative look into the budget structure of these institutes reveals a troubling truth: 90 per cent of their yearly allocation goes into staff salaries, leaving only crumbs for actual research. This painful revelation, confirmed by Baba Yusuf Abubakar, former Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), exposes a system designed to fail. “Only 10 per cent goes into research,” he lamented. “How can we conduct effective research with such stipends?” His question echoes through Nigeria’s food crisis — a crisis driven not only by climate shocks and insecurity, but also by a profound, structural lack of scientific work.
A Giant with Tiny Tools
Nigeria boasts the most extensive agricultural research system in Africa, with over 80 government and higher education institutes and more than 2,000 researchers. Nevertheless, the system produces little impact compared to smaller African countries. The reason becomes clear when you follow the money.
Budget documents show that research institutions receive an average of N28 billion yearly. On paper, it looks reasonable. However, when 90 per cent of that amount is swallowed by recurrent expenses — salaries, allowances, overheads — what remains is barely enough to repair broken equipment, let alone conduct field trials or develop new seed varieties.
Prof. Michael Oluwole Ajala of FUNAAB explains the consequence: “Most equipment is obsolete and cannot support modern research. We cannot compete with India, Brazil, or China because we do not invest like they do.”
He is right. India spends approximately $2 billion annually on agricultural research. Brazil spends $1 billion, while China commits $700 million. Nigeria? Just $78 million, most of which never touches a laboratory bench.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Because research institutes cannot innovate, farmers remain trapped in outdated practices. Smallholder yields remain embarrassingly low — sometimes one-third of what peers in Asia achieve. Post-harvest losses continue to drain food supply, even as Nigeria battles hunger.
A 2015 ActionAid report showed that Nigeria invests only $0.42 in research for every $100 of agricultural output. Ghana invests $0.94; Uganda invests $1.40. The result is predictable: Nigeria imports what it should be exporting.
The Way Forward
Experts say if Nigeria truly wants agriculture to drive diversification, research must be funded, not just staffed. Increased government investment, backed by strong private-sector partnerships, could change the story. Many also call for reforms that tie funding to measurable innovation outcomes rather than simply paying salaries.
Until then, the nation’s agricultural research institutes will remain busy workplaces producing very little, and Nigeria will continue paying the price with empty barns and rising food inflation.
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