Rice is a staple food for many households in Nigeria, and demand for it continues to rise as Nigeria relies heavily on imports to meet local consumption.
Ndianaabasi Innocent stared forlornly at his rice farm in Ekoi Atan Ubom, a village in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in south-south Nigeria.
“I invested about N400,000 in the four plots, but two are gone,” said the 30-year-old farmer. The land’s poor water retention meant the rice plants were exposed and scorched by the sun, turning his expected bountiful harvest into a harrowing loss. The land, which once held enough water and sustained the crops through dry spells, had become dry. The rice plants wilted prematurely, and the intense heat scorched their stalks.
Mr Innocent said the soil moisture was better and the rainfall patterns were predictable in previous years. Even during dry periods, the soil held enough water to support crops. However, he observed a shift in the last two planting seasons, when rainfall became irregular and short, followed by long dry spells. The sun also seemed to become more intense, drying up his fields much faster.
Experts attribute this pattern to climate change, which has disrupted traditional farming calendars and affected soil conditions in many parts of Nigeria. For farmers like Mr Innocent, the consequences are real and costly. Without irrigation systems or climate-smart practices, crops are left at the mercy of the elements.
Staple
Rice is a staple food for many households in Nigeria, and demand for it continues to rise. With a population exceeding 200 million, Nigeria relies heavily on imports to meet local rice consumption. Government data on food production is sometimes not available. However, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), rice production in Nigeria slowed to 5.23 million metric tonnes in 2024, down from 5.61 million metric tonnes in 2023 and 5.41 million metric tonnes in 2022.
Conversely, consumption has surpassed seven million metric tonnes annually over the past five years. In 2024 alone, rice consumption reached approximately 7.6 million metric tonnes, an increase from 7.55 million metric tonnes in 2023 and 7.5 million in 2022.
This shortfall between local production and demand has led to increased imports. In 2024, importation surged to 2.4 million metric tonnes from 1.89 million in 2023.
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Efforts to increase local production face multiple challenges, such as high production costs and climatic changes, especially in the southern part of the country, where farmers rely heavily on unpredictable rainfall. A shift in rainfall patterns could spell disaster.
Under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, the government provided power tillers, motorised weeders and sprayers, and financial support to farmers through its Anchor Borrowers programme. But many farmers complained that they got nothing, especially in rural communities.
Interventions
For decades, successive Nigerian governments have launched several initiatives to boost local rice production, achieve self-sufficiency, and reduce imports. Yet local production cannot meet consumption.
In 1970, the government established the Federal Rice Research Station to develop improved rice varieties. Four years later, it created the National Cereals Research Institute to support research, seed multiplication, and farmer training.
Regional efforts like the Abakaliki Rice Project (1978) and Ibom Rice Project (2001) in Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states followed, aimed to modernise farming techniques and to expand local production.
In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration launched the Presidential Rice Initiative to close the demand-supply gap. This initiative recognised the growing population and the need to reduce the strain on foreign exchange from rice imports.