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Nigeria’s agriculture value chain is worth $85 billion. It consists of crop and livestock farms, processing facilities, distribution systems, agricultural finance, and so much more. All across this chain, agribusiness opportunities abound. If you’re innovative, bold, and well informed, you could reap healthy returns from investing in these opportunities.

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There’s more to agriculture than farming itself. People who don’t think they’re suited to the tedium of ploughing soil or restraining animals can get a taste of the industry with businesses that supply material to farms or derive raw materials from them. Here are 7 ways to earn from agriculture without actually being a farmer:

Food Processing and Preservation

Nigeria has a huge food waste problem. It’s estimated that the country loses 40% of its annual food production. This waste is caused by a lack of food storage and processing capacity. You could build a thriving business around helping to solve this problem. From rice mills to tomato paste processing, treated silos and cold storage for produce, the ideas are many and potentially viable.

Cash Crop Processing

Cash crops like rubber, cocoa and sugarcane also need to be processed. When you take them a step closer to being finished goods, you add value to them. And there’s a lot of money to be made from value addition. It makes products more exportable and causes them to command higher prices on international markets.

Agricultural Input Supplies

You could provide input to farmers that helps them improve their productivity. These inputs are machinery (ploughs, harvesters, tractors, etc.), smaller tools (spades, rakes, cutlasses, etc.), irrigation (sprinklers and drip irrigation), pesticides, and fertilizer. Depending on the resources and know-how available to you, you may either produce these things or retail them.

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Commodity Trading and Transportation

Commodity transportation is a business proposition with potentially significant ROI. It involves moving agricultural produce from production areas to consumption centers—often from rural locations to major cities. You can make a good deal of money transporting certain food products from northern and central Nigeria to places like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

Veterinary Drugs and Vaccines

Drugs and vaccines for livestock are a decent investment as well, especially when there’s a shortage of local productive capacity. As Nigeria’s population grows, its demand for meat and dairy products will increase. The animals from which these products are derived need to be cared for until maturity, and may have to be treated at various points. This means that the market for medical supplies dedicated to livestock will continue to expand.

Production of Agrochemicals

Agrochemicals like fertilizers and pesticides are an important part of any collection of crop farming inputs. While there are natural methods for enriching the soil and controlling pests, they may not be appropriate for certain, very specific purposes. So, farmers still purchase these inputs even when prices are on the high side. If you can make effective pesticides and fertilizers for lower than average costs, you may do quite well in your target market.

Market Research

People and institutions looking to invest in agriculture want all the relevant information they can get. You could profit from providing that information to them. As a researcher in this industry, you will work to gain insights into demand, supply, prices, trends, and market opportunities that your clients can take advantage of.

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Final Words

This article has discussed 7 agribusiness opportunities that can be accessed by Nigerians. Take a closer look at the options listed here; investigate them further; and then decide which one(s) appeal to you the most.

Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com

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This article was first published on 5th April 2025
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ikenna-nwachukwu

Ikenna Nwachukwu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He loves to look at the world through multiple lenses- economic, political, religious and philosophical- and to write about what he observes in a witty, yet reflective style.