AGROCHEMICAL USAGE IN NIGERIA: PROFILE AND COST

Data were obtained in February, 2022 from the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Abuja on fertilizers use in Nigeria from 2010 to 2020. These data include fertilizer types, total cost of fertilizers, and net cost by types within the periods. Also annual cost by types of fertilizers, percentages by types were analyzed. Similarly, data were obtained from NBS on pesticides expenditure in Nigeria in the same period. The pesticide types are herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, soil fumigants (methyl bromide) and mosquito repellant coils. The total pesticide use costs, pesticide type costs and the mean annual cost for the period were evaluated. The monetary values in Naira and US Dollars were determined considering the exchange rates at each specific period to ascertain the real national expenditure on fertilizers and pesticide usage. Based on fertilizer types, 82 % were nitrogenous and multiple-element fertilizers with each having a share of 41% apiece, while the potassic fertilizers had 11 %, phosphoric 5 % and others 2 %. Among the others were animal and vegetable fertilizers either in single or mixed form and fertilizer products that were not properly identified. A sum of 44.7 billion Naira ($209.14 million) was established to be spent annually on fertilizers in Nigeria. In the same vein, about 63.4 billion Naira was also spent annually on pesticides, ($244 million) out of which 74%, 16.6%, 4.7%, 5.0% and 0.06% went to herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, soil fumigants, and mosquito repellant coils respectively. In total, Nigeria spent about 108.1 billion Naira ($453.14) on agro-chemicals annually of which 59% and 41% were on pesticides and fertilizers respectively.