Yemisi Izuora
A new report has highlighted key trends and issues that has stifled growth of
Nigeria’s agritech sector which attracted millions of dollars in recent years.
Despite huge funding most startups in the industry disappear before they gain lasting traction.
That gap between startup ideas and farmer priorities explains why nearly 90 per cent of Nigerian agritech ventures fail within five years, the report identified.
When many founders enter agriculture, they often imagine drones, mobile apps, climate tools, and digital marketplaces transforming rural communities. However, farmers usually ask for something simpler and more urgent — money, market access, and stable income.
That demand is not resistance to progress but instead it reflects economic reality.
Nigeria has around 73 million hectares of arable land, and agriculture contributes roughly 24 per cent of GDP. On paper, this should make the country one of Africa’s biggest agritech success stories but yet the sector remains difficult because most farmers operate small subsistence farms, often on less than two hectares of land.
As a result, many foreign-style startup models fail immediately.
Several Nigerian agritech founders copy systems built for large mechanised farms in North America or Europe and they then try to apply those same models in rural Nigeria, where internet access is limited, electricity remains unstable, and roads increase transport costs,according to report by TTY Brand Africa.
Consequently, even strong technology products struggle to scale.
In many farming communities, rural internet penetration stays below 30 per cent and at the same time, extension officers remain too few, leaving thousands of farmers without professional guidance. Poor roads delay produce movement, while erratic electricity makes storage and processing more expensive.
Because of these barriers, digital-first agritech products often collapse before reaching profitability.
The report points that many investors chase rapid expansion instead of sustainable growth. Startups then subsidise transactions, burn through capital, and hope future scale will solve losses. Unfortunately, when fresh funding stops, many businesses shut down.
Nigeria witnessed this during the crowdfunding farm investment trend, where several unverified projects failed and damaged trust across the sector.
Government policy issues have also slowed progress.
The Anchor Borrowers’ Programme aimed to support farmers with cheaper loans and farm inputs. However, weak monitoring, insecurity, flooding, and political interference reduced success rates. Many intended beneficiaries struggled, while repayment performance stayed low.
Moreover, sudden policy changes in finance and regulation have disrupted fintech-agritech businesses trying to offer loans and inputs together.
Many farmers cultivate land they do not legally own. Therefore, they avoid long-term investments like irrigation systems, soil improvement, and mechanisation. Without secure land rights, productivity growth becomes difficult.
Farmers respond positively to solutions that deliver quick income, simple tools, training, and direct access to buyers. Offline-first systems perform better because connectivity remains weak. Products that require little digital literacy also gain stronger adoption.
Most importantly, farmers need visible value within one harvest cycle.
That is why some West African hybrid models combining finance, inputs, and extension support have recorded better results than pure software businesses.
For Nigeria to build successful agritech companies, three groups must rethink strategy.
Investors need patience because agriculture runs on planting and harvest cycles, not software timelines. Founders must solve real farmer problems instead of chasing trendy innovation. Policymakers must improve roads, power, land reform, and extension services.
Without those basics, technology alone cannot rescue agriculture, the report cautioned.
Nigeria’s agritech opportunity remains massive, but success will only come when startups stop building products farmers did not request.
The future belongs to companies that help farmers earn more money now, not those selling distant promises.