By Chisom Oguadimma
Professor Michael Uguru has spent years cultivating farm produce and domestic animals as a crop scientist from the department of crop science at the university of Nigeria Nsukka.
As the economic hardship worsens, he decided to inform the public on the need to get back to farming as the only and surest means to end hunger and unemployment in Nigeria.
With a very good knowledge of farming and passion, he began his own venture called Afro Green Ventures Nigeria Limited.
At first, he started with farming for home consumption, but gradually expanded into commercial farming as well as training and employing people which is a way of eradicating unemployment in the country.
With this, he expanded his ventures into producing different kinds of farm produce such as plantain, bananas, corn, different vegetables such as waterleaf, and scent leaf, spices like ginger, garlic, and turmeric, and as far as rearing goats, snails, and even fish..
Prof Michael Uguru’s determination and focus has been paying him off for years in the sense that he doesn’t go to market to purchase any commodity as he produces them right in his home .She has found immense satisfaction in his chosen career, knowing that farming is the only way out of a bad economy.
“I’ve been into this business for many years,” he recounted.If you look around you can see for yourself that i have everything needed planted here, i eat from this farm, feed the community from here and even employ workers who work for me thereby reducing the rate of unemployment”.
“I’ve been able to sponsor my children’s education through this business, and I’ve never had to suffer,” he shared with a heart filled with satisfaction. Afro Green Ventures Nigeria Limited has even opened doors to many other agricultural phases such as crop breeding, and training and this is to let you know that what is worth doing is worth doing well.
The Challenges of Small-Scale farmers face in Nigeria 
Small-scale businesses in Nigeria, especially those who are into agriculture such as farming and rearing of livestock face numerous challenges.
The country’s economic landscape presents many obstacles ranging from lack of adequate infrastructure for farmers and negligence of home producers, this is because the majority of the things we import into the country are part of the things we can produce agriculturally.
According to data from The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), between January and March 2021, agriculture has contributed to 22.35 percent of the total Fross Domestic Products and over 70 percent of Nigeiran engage in the agriculture sector mainly at a subsistence level.
Despite the contribution to the economy, Nigeria’s agricultural sector faces many challenges which impact on its productivity. These include; poor land tenure system, low level of irrigation farming, climate change and land degradation. Others are low technology, high production cost and poor distribution of inputs, limited financing, high post-harvest losses and poor access to markets.
These challenges have stifled agricultural productivity affecting the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP as well as increased food imports due population rise hence declining levels of food sufficiency.
Also, data estimation from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), inflation has been a persistent issue, affecting both consumers and businesses in the country.
More Success Stories
Despite the challenges faced by small scale farmers in Nigeria, Prof Michael Uguru established and managed the Afro Green Ventures Nigeria limited which helps to cater for his needs and that of people around him.
Prof Michael Uguru, another stalwart in this farming business, has successfully made him known as the go-to to get all farm produce as people wait in line to purchase from him.
Being a crop scientist and having a background knowledge of farming has shaped his perception about the ecosystem as well as knowing how to manage the gifts that come from mother earth without endangering them.
Through the Afro Green ventures Nigeria limited, he has given employment to many which is a way of making people relevant in the society and a way of reducing the rate of unemployment which has led to individual survival, family and community survival, which is what a country needs for survival.
However, despite the economic downfall, Nigerians have a very big role to play in eradicating poverty, hunger, and unemployment in the country through farming.
“Running away from one country to another country will not make our own country better, many of our youth leave the country for another country to become a mortuary attendant where they wash the corpse, and some face what I call slavery in the name of looking for green pasture whereas, in Nigeria, we have everything needed to sustain and keep us alive”
“Moving or relocating to another country will never make you a minister or a president of that country, so if we all “sapa” from Nigeria because of the situation , who will build the country? let us use what we have to make our country better”
“Food is one of the basic necessities of life and when a country keeps importing the foods we can produce in our country, it will be hard for such a country to grow and expand, this is why the government as well as stakeholders should come in to support small scale farmers and provide the various infrastructure needed to work”.
