A leading agricultural firm, Arzikin Noma, has unveiled plans to integrate 10,000 smallholder farmers across three states into sorghum production, tapping into what is considered a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity.
Sorghum, which ranks among the world’s top five cereal crops after rice, wheat, maize, and barley, is crucial for Nigeria’s beverage, confectionery, and livestock feed industries.
The initiative, launched in Ikeja, Lagos, under the Sorghum Value Chain Transformation Project South West, aims to boost production in Ogun, Oyo, and Kwara States, potentially reducing Nigeria’s $3 billion grain import bill.
“The market for sorghum is quite huge. It’s a profitable venture and requires little effort,” said Ugochukwu Oguike, Chief Operating Officer of Arzikin Noma.
Highlighting how sorghum ranks as viable alternative to costly wheat and barley imports, Oguike added, “We’re looking at almost 16 trillion in grains market value, and sorghum ranks number three.”
The project mainly seeks to address financial constraints facing farmers while promoting economic development. “These farmers are going to be taxable. We’re saving some more spending on dollars which puts less pressure on our NRA,” Oguike explained.
Managing Director and Chief Executive of Arzikin Noma, Michael Adesola, highlighted the initiative’s role in addressing food security challenges. “Over the years, Nigeria has been battled with food inflation. For us to tackle this, private entities have to go strongly into working with smaller farmers by ensuring they’re able to scale,” he said, noting the company’s track record of working with over 40,000 smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
He explained that the organisation’s partnership with IDH (Sustainable Trade Initiative) will provide comprehensive support to farmers. “Southwestern farmers have the capacity, land, and technical knowledge. However, they have limited financial strength, which is where Arziki Noma comes in,” Adesola said.
The project has received endorsements from key stakeholders, including the Kwara State Commissioner of Agriculture, Oluwatoyosi Thomas who urged farmers to honor their commitments to ensure the project’s success and expansion.
“Integrity is crucial. When the government secures partners to support farmers, fulfilling commitments is vital for the project’s long-term success,” Thomas said.
She highlighted the consequences of failure of the project saying,”usually it starts with a pilot, and if we’re not able to go beyond the pilot phase, other farmers will not be able to benefit.”
Dr. Ademola Otunba, a stakeholder present at the event, expressed confidence in Arzikin Noma’s ability to deliver on its promises, citing the firm’s strong market links and proven track record.
The project is expected to run for two years, with additional benefits including climate resilience through afforestation efforts.
