Developing an Approach for a Sustainable Agricultural Revolution: A Prescription for the Private and Public Sectors in the Southern States of Nigeria.

Over the years, agricultural development in Nigeria has been on a downward trend. This negative trend is attributed to the apathy from the people, the discovery of oil just before independence; and the after effects of the civil war of the late 60's. In addition to the local political problems, intensive agricultural research and delivery systems have been disappointingly low in some of the underdeveloped nations especially Nigeria as compared to the strings of successes in some Asian and Latin American countries. Several government initiatives and programmes aimed at improving food production and security have not yielded positive results either. Most of these programmes served as conduit pipes for government officials to carry away millions of dollars to foreign accounts. Various government agricultural programmes targeted at the poor farmers have not brought about the much trumpeted agricultural revolution - in terms of millions of people to feed and the produce to meet industrial needs. This paper takes a cursory look at patterns of agricultural growth in Nigeria, reasons for agricultural revolution, variables of sustainable agricultural development and strategies in developing a framework for public and private sectors participation in agricultural revolution in Nigeria.