A quiet revolution is reshaping Nigeria's agriculture, with SMEs and young entrepreneurs at the forefront. From soilless farming to digital mechanisation, innovators are boosting food security and opening new business opportunities.
Samson Ogbole's Soilless Farm Lab in Ogun State, through the Mastercard Foundation-funded Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYiA), is training 12,000 youths—70% women—in hydroponics, aquaponics, irrigation, and agribusiness management. Many, like Odey Eucharia, have used the programme to expand beyond farming into successful enterprises.
Partnerships with institutions such as UNILAG and Landmark University are driving urban farming and youth-focused agri-tech hubs, while SMEs like Bic Soilless Farms leverage hydroponics to tackle food and feed shortages. Platforms like TracTrac are easing access to farm machinery for over 135,000 smallholder farmers, creating new SME-led mechanisation ventures.
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Energy-focused SMEs, led by Femi Oye of SMEFUNDS, are linking renewable energy with agriculture, from solar irrigation to bio-ethanol for clean cooking, powering rural agribusinesses. Meanwhile, Lagos State is nurturing AgTech startups through pilot programmes and innovation hubs.
With global partners—from Israel's agri-tech ecosystem to the EU's DIGISOL digital farming project—Nigeria's SME-driven agriculture sector is positioning itself as a key player in food security, sustainability, and youth employment.
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