Idongesit Ashameri, Uyo
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has put the earning potential of agriculture in the spotlight, saying graduates working on his farm receive a minimum monthly salary of N500,000.
Bago made the disclosure in Lagos while speaking at the opening of the FirstBank Agric & Export Expo 2026, themed, “From Farm to Global Markets: Building Nigeria’s Export Value Chain.”
The governor used the example of his farm to challenge what he described as the relatively low earnings associated with conventional employment, arguing that commercially driven agriculture could create better-paying jobs for Nigerians.
“In our farm, we pay a graduate minimum 500,000 monthly,” Bago said.
He then turned the comparison towards the financial sector, asking: “How much does the government pay? FirstBank, how much do you pay?”
Bago joked that the wage differential could even enable him to attract workers from the banking sector.
“It means I can poach all FirstBank workers who earn less than my minimum wage, to my farm,” he said.
The governor’s comments came against the backdrop of his call for increased private-sector investment in agriculture, particularly livestock production, which he identified as an area capable of generating employment and driving economic growth.
He urged businesses and investors to look beyond traditional sectors and take greater advantage of opportunities within Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
“So, I want to encourage the private sector to do more,” he said.
Bago also linked increased agricultural production to Nigeria’s food security, warning against the country’s continued dependence on imported food.
According to him, Nigeria’s food import bill had exceeded $3 billion in the year, with the figure potentially rising to $4 billion before the end of 2026.
He said the scale of the import bill reinforced the need for deliberate policies that would expand domestic production and strengthen what he described as Nigeria’s food sovereignty.
The governor’s presentation therefore framed agriculture not merely as a means of feeding the population, but as a potential source of well-paid employment, private investment and export earnings.
