The Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG) has called on farmers across the country to embrace standardization and grading of agricultural produce to enhance market value and reduce rejection rates in both domestic and international markets.
Speaking at a technical workshop on maize and ginger standard grading, marking the culmination of a three-year advocacy campaign in Abuja, NABG President, Arch Kabir Ibrahim, emphasized the importance of consistency in grain size, appearance, and overall quality to secure better prices and market access.
“Nigeria has a history of rejection of its produce due to lack of standardization. By ensuring uniformity in what we produce, our farmers will not only secure better prices locally but also penetrate international markets more effectively,” Ibrahim stated.
He highlighted that agribusiness remains a key driver of economic prosperity, urging both smallholder and large-scale farmers to adopt best practices in production.
Ibrahim also noted Nigeria’s critical role in feeding African nations, with informal trade routes between Nigeria and countries like Ghana already well-established.
However, he lamented that the absence of formal trade structures has led to significant revenue losses.
“Nigeria’s agribusiness penetration within Africa is phenomenal, but it can be enhanced through formalization. By implementing grading standards, we can ensure that our produce is competitive, both regionally and globally,” he said.
NABG Director-General, Jafar Umar, explained that the group is working in phases to institutionalize grading systems, starting with key commodities like ginger and rice.
“If we establish standard grading for these essential crops, it will serve as a reference for others. This will help farmers target premium markets by aligning their production with the right seed, fertilizer, and input standards,” Umar said.
Despite significant market penetration within Africa, Nigeria’s agribusiness sector faces challenges such as policy gaps, lack of compliance, and limited access to knowledge.
“If our commodities meet international standards, their value will trickle down to smallholder farmers. We must reverse the trend of losses due to poor standards so that everyone in the value chain benefits,” Umar added.
NABG’s Secretary-General, Mrs Nwaneri Olubukola, noted that collaborations with organizations like the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) are helping to bridge these gaps by providing technical support and training for smallholder farmers.
“Most of the knowledge on standardization exists but remains underutilized. We are ensuring that farmers see their work as agribusiness, not just subsistence farming. If they understand grading, they can demand better prices and access premium markets,” she said.
Although mechanization remains a long-term goal, Ibrahim stressed the need for farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) regardless of their current production methods.
“Even if you are using manual tools, be deliberate about quality. As mechanization expands, these processes will become seamless, but farmers must start applying best practices now,” she advised.
Nigeria is a major global producer of ginger and maize, two crops with high domestic and export demand. However, poor grading and packaging have limited their competitiveness. NABG’s framework aims to change this by enabling government agencies and commodity associations to set fair pricing based on standardized grading.
Through partnerships with media organizations, NABG plans to amplify awareness campaigns, ensuring that farmers nationwide adopt grading and standardization practices.
With these efforts, NABG hopes to position Nigerian agribusiness as a formidable player in the global market, unlocking wealth for farmers and strengthening the country’s economic resilience through agriculture.
