Rakiya A.Muhammad
Fifty-nine-year-old Emmanuel Ogbechie is a prominent contributor to the economic prosperity of his community in the Okuku area of Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, South-South Nigeria.
The smallholder owns a palm fruit plantation that serves as a means of livelihood for many rural families.
Oil palm plantations are in many parts of Nigeria, mainly in the southern region. Palm oil remains an important food source and a significant globally traded good.
The United States Department of Agriculture put the World Palm oil production in 2021 at about 75.46 million metrics tons. It ranks Nigeria fifth with 1,280,000 million metric tons.
Cross River, South-South Nigeria, is a major oil palm producing state in Nigeria. Statistics credited to the State Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industry and Agriculture show that in 2018, Cross Rivers produced over 200,000 metric tons of palm oil with over 360,000 hectares under palm cultivation.
It added that over 18,000 farmers, primarily locals, were involved. “I decided to go into palm fruits farming, seeing that the way to go now is farming,” disclosed Ogbeche, who has taken after his father.
“I usually followed my dad to the farm as a child then. I established my palm Plantation in 2020.”
He, however, noted changes between then and now. “There are differences now that palm Plantation is more organised,” he observed.
“In those days, our parents used to harvest wild palm fruits in the bush since much of the South-South Nigeria wild palm fruits grow indiscriminately.
There is a deliberate attempt to cultivate farms through clusters using modern methodologies. Unlike my father, I have planted palm fruits on my plot of land.”
The changes had been massive for those into modern, large-scale mechanised farming, noting they are becoming multi-millionaires.

“In those days, it wasn’t like this because people farmed just for subsistence and sole remnants of the produce for extra cash for the family. Today, farming is big business.”
For the smallholder, palm fruit farming is a lifestyle choice. “I am not into large scale farming because my farm is not very large,” he stated.
“When we harvest, we locally process the fruits into oil for family and neighbours.” Ogbeche explained family members join hands to nurture the farm.
“Ours, like I said, is not particularly a large farm. We, therefore, use manual labour. Relatives come in handy. Sometimes I pay a token to teenagers to help.”
He said many are showing interest in farming because there are apparent benefits. “There is a high rate of unemployment. Therefore, many idle youths want to jump at any opportunities that bring lawful incomes.”
The palm fruits farmer said subsistence farming helps in many ways to augment incomes.
Anas Murtala Ahmed, a Cross Rivers-based palm oil marketer, is an indigene of Jos North in Plateau State in Northcentral Nigeria.
“I grew up in the family of palm oil dealers. My late father did it almost all his life. Upon his passing, my elder brother took over. And here I am neck-deep into it,”
“I have been doing this business for 15 years in Calabar. But I am 19 years in the business.”
They ensure palm oil contributes to food security by taking it to other parts of the country for people who require this food source to meet their dietary needs and food preferences.
“We mostly convey palm oil to many states in northern Nigeria because that is where we have the bulk of our clients.
Nevertheless, we do sell for our host communities,” the Business Administration Diploma holder said.
“We sell a minimum of four trucks containing 500 jerricans per week.” He also spoke about how they get the product.
“We go to oil mills where millers would sell desired quantities to us. Other times, we rely on local traders, suppliers who go into the hinterlands, buy, and then sell to us. At times, we travel to remote villages and buy off from local plantations.”
Ahmed said they frequently extend loans to producers to enable them to increase their supplies to them. But he lamented some insincere farmers run away with their money.
“This has happened to me a few times. I don’t, however, regret it. In business, you must encounter these things. We now assure them that money is available to pay them once they have brought the product.”
Ahmed said despite they pay the statutory taxes, too many roadblocks and produce points result in paying more to transport the produce.

“Our trucks are forced to cough out money. These collections seriously affect our business, which we pass down to the final consumers,” he divulged.
He identified some changes in the business over these years.” Today, there have been many noticeable changes, especially in the costs compared with previously. You could buy a jerrican of 25 litres of palm oil for N5000 or N6000. Today, the same quantity goes for N16,000. The prices are not stable.”
Hie, however, described the business as lucrative, noting the future as ‘bright.’ “This is because palm oil is always in hot demand because we require it in all facets of life. Apart from being used for foods, including biscuits, butter, bread, soap-making, etc. Palm oil has a big role in the country’s economy.”
Engaging Teeming Youths
41-year-old Alhaji Danlami Saleh from Bauchi State, who owns at hriving palm oil enterprise in Calabar, remarked palm oil holds many attractions and potential for the youths.
Saleh has been in the business for 24 years and trained over 30 Nigerian youths involved in buying the fruits from the local farms, processing, loading, offloading, milling etc.
“All they require now is government support to invest in it for greater benefits and establish plantations and processing plants,” he stated.
“The oil palm business is thriving, but we need loans and government supports. Palm oil has equal potential to crude oil. The government needs to diversify by returning to it.”
They sell a 30ton truckload of palm oil for N11 Million and usually dispatch up to seven trucks per week to the northern states.
But the big challenge, he said, is that big firms do go into the local farms and buy off palm fruits to their detriment.
“if the country gives attention to the oil palm business, it can also reduce poverty and unemployment,” Saleh said.
Palm oil trader Madam Mary Peters pointed out cultivation and processing of palm fruits serve as a major source of income for many farmers and their dependents.
But she said accessing loans is a major challenge, and stressed need to boost opportunities smallholders.
Smallholders, dealers’ pact
For big-time palm oil dealer Mallam Nafiu Musa from Jos in Plateau State, who has been in the palm oil business for over 25 years, it is the business that took him to Calabar.
“It is a family business. My late father was in it much of his life before he died. As I used to do before my father died, I now buy large quantities of palm oil and send them to my younger brother in Jos, who then sells it and remits proceeds to me in Calabar.”

He has many farmers in Akpabuyo, Akamkpa and Bakassi LGAs of the state he usually enters into agreements.
“We do give them loans to rent and cultivate the lands. They will harvest and mill the fruits and then supply the oil to us,” he said.
“We do so because many smallholder farmers do not have enough money to process their farms. They usually come to us for help. We will inspect
the farm and give conditions; if acceptable, we sign. The farmer will then hand over the final product to sell and recover our money.”
He admitted that the palm oil business is good for his family, even with the occasional disappointment he experienced with some farmers who fail to adhere to terms of credit facilities.
“Some have run away with my money. There are a few selfish and dubious ones. I hand them over to God, a just rewarder,” he said.
“I am very used to all the challenges, losses, and gains associated with it. “
The future of the palm oil businessria is excellent only if the government can help, he pointed out, stressing the amount of palm oil in Nigeria can sustain industries and private demands.
“All over the world, Nigeria’s palm oil is finest and sought-after. But the millers do not filter it well enough,” Musa observed.
“Nigeria’s quality is the best. I have traded in and tasted palm oil from Ghana, Cameroon and Malaysia. They are no match for Nigeria. We have the sweetest and scented oil with nutrients.”
Analysts noted that economically active poor dominate private smallholders and urged increased investments in smallholder production.
Tackling Challenges
The National Survey and Segmentation of Smallholder Households in Nigeria reported: “Based on Nigeria’s official definition of smallholders, more than 80 per cent of farmers in Nigeria are considered smallholders because they own less than 5 hectares of land.”
It highlighted major constraints to smallholder farming in Nigeria to include “the lack and high cost of labour and agricultural inputs in rural areas; limited access to information, modern agricultural technology, and adequate financial services; a land tenure system that prevents the acquisition of new land; and inconsistent support from
local government councils.”
A study by the Centre for International Forestry Research CIFOR and partner institutions looked at how smallholders can conquer funding challenges.
Among recommendations include incentives and technical support to meet sustainability requirements, assess and manage risks, and building capacity of smallholder organisations.