Agricultural policies in Nigeria and implementation challenges

Policy is a process by which governments translate their political visions and intents into programmes and projects to deliver and effect change. Agricultural policies are implemented to achieve agricultural growth and development. The study reviewed agricultural policies in Nigeria and implementation challenges. Secondary data was used for the study. Government archives and data bases were consulted. These objectives guided the study: description of Nigeria’s agricultural policies during the colonial, post-colonial and present era and identify the gaps in policy implementation. Agricultural policies in Nigeria have witnessed repetitive policies and program and are yet to fulfill its mandate of food sufficiency. Agricultural policies during the colonial era were more on forest matters with less emphasis on crop and animal production. There was also no institutional arrangement for implementation. Commodity specific policies were directed towards stabilizing post-second world war prices in Britain. There was institutional framework in the post- colonial era and intervention policies with food production as the main focus. But lack proper implementation strategies and monitoring. The present era treats agriculture as a business. The target is to develop value chain and build agribusiness for sustained prosperity. The major constraints are inadequate implementation, monitoring and evaluation.