LCCI urges farmers to embrace tech and innovation to modernise Nigerian agriculture, attract youth, and drive sustainable sector growth

LCCI urges farmers to embrace tech and innovation to reposition Nigerian agriculture as a viable and profitable business, not a poverty-driven occupation.

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At the 2025 LCCI Agric Symposium in Lagos, stakeholders called for a technology-driven transformation of farming to meet global best practices and attract younger generations.

Tunde Banjoko, Chairman of the LCCI Agricultural and Allied Group, said agriculture must be rebranded and made attractive. Quoting President Bola Tinubu, he remarked that agriculture should be seen as “sexy”—a profession to be proud of.

Banjoko stressed that beyond access to funding and modern equipment, changing the narrative around farming is key.

“We want to show the youth how farming can be modern, profitable, and fulfilling,” he said, citing young farmers already deploying drones and tractors as proof that agriculture can be clean, smart, and lucrative.

LCCI urges farmers to embrace tech not only as a productivity tool but as a means to elevate perception and profitability in the sector.

Echoing this, Emmanuel Audu, Permanent Secretary at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, noted that Lagos is implementing reforms to reduce post-harvest losses and stabilise food prices.

The Lagos Food Systems Transformation Agenda and the newly established Food Security Hub at Ketu are designed to cut losses by at least 25% within three years.

He also unveiled the “Produce for Lagos” initiative, backed by a ₦500 billion fund, which guarantees farmers immediate payment for produce, creating an incentive for banks to finance agriculture confidently.

LCCI Vice President Abimbola Olashore reinforced the need to discard the outdated image of agriculture as a survival trade.

“Agribusiness is the biggest contributor to Nigeria’s GDP, but many still link it to poverty. Yet people are quietly becoming billionaires from cocoa and palm oil,” she said.

According to her, scale, innovation, and value addition will be critical to boosting competitiveness and transforming agriculture into a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy.

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LCCI urges farmers to embrace tech as part of its broader mission to modernise agriculture, increase youth participation, and develop Nigeria’s agribusiness value chains.