The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State chapter, has called for increased financing for irrigation to enable farmers to cultivate crops throughout the year and boost food production.
The AFAN Lagos State Chairman, Sakin Agbayewa, made the call in an interview with pressmen on Wednesday, 26th of August 2026 in Lagos.
Agbayewa urged farmers to move away from dependence on rain-fed agriculture and embrace irrigation farming, noting that changing weather patterns had made planting seasons increasingly unpredictable.
“We have a rain-fed agriculture system and most farmers have no capital to adopt irrigation solutions or technology,” he said.
He said farmers could not achieve all-year-round cultivation without proper irrigation systems, as most were forced to wait for the rains before commencing planting.
“However, with current climate change realities, planting is no longer predictable,” he said.
According to him, the ongoing August break had further disrupted the traditional farming calendar, making it difficult for farmers to determine when to plant and harvest.
“As we speak, we are in the August break, which started in the middle of July, and we are still in it right now.
“We don’t know when it’s going to end. And if the rain comes back, you might even be seeing the rain till December.
“That is another shift again in the cultivation timetable,” Agbayewa said.
The chairman said Nigeria’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture had contributed to the perception that certain crops were seasonal, arguing that irrigation could enable farmers to produce crops beyond traditional planting periods.
“Who told us that these crops are seasonal? There is no research that says some crops are seasonal,” he said.
Agbayewa attributed the situation to farmers’ limited access to finance, technological know-how and appropriate equipment, which had made rain-fed agriculture the dominant practice.
He called on the government to provide financial support that would enable farmers to establish irrigation systems and adopt appropriate technologies for year-round production.
“I would advise that we should begin to think out of the box and do all-year-round planting once we have the capacity to do it.
“We can create our own water irrigation system if the government comes to the aid of local farmers financially,” he said.
The AFAN chairman said about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s farming population comprised subsistence farmers, while the remaining 30 per cent were commercial farmers.
He added that women accounted for about 80 per cent of subsistence farmers, compared with 20 per cent for men, highlighting the need for more accessible financing for smallholder farmers.
Agbayewa questioned how many farmers had the financial capacity to invest in irrigation, urging the government to engage banks and establish specialized institutions to support irrigation financing.
“So, how many farmers have the financial capacity to go for irrigation?
“The government should come into it and talk to the banks, or have specialized institutions that will handle irrigation financing for farmers,” he said.
He suggested that farmland could be used as collateral to help farmers access loans for irrigation equipment and other production technologies.
“Our lands can serve as collateral for us, so farmers will be able to access irrigation equipment and increase their production.
“With proper irrigation systems, Nigeria will be able to have all-year-round crop cultivation while addressing food insecurity,” he said.
