Agricultural shows, a forgotten tradition of excellence
Once upon a time, agricultural shows were among the most anticipated events across especially Northern Nigeria. Farmers, herders, researchers, traders, and government officials looked forward to them every year. They were not mere gatherings of farmers and extension agents but were some of the most anticipated annual events in rural and urban calendars; veritable festivals […]
Once upon a time, agricultural shows were among the most anticipated events across especially Northern Nigeria. Farmers, herders, researchers, traders, and government officials looked forward to them every year. They were not mere gatherings of farmers and extension agents but were some of the most anticipated annual events in rural and urban calendars; veritable festivals of agricultural excellence, innovation, and rural pride.
From Sokoto to Yola, or Ilorin to Maiduguri, farmers, livestock breeders, processors, and input suppliers trooped in every year to showcase their best produce, improved breeds, new technologies, and farming innovations. Agricultural shows became a melting pot where extension workers, researchers, policymakers, and everyday farmers exchange ideas and build networks.
Sadly, this proud tradition has largely been abandoned, leaving behind a void that continues to weaken the linkages between research, extension services, and farmers who need them most. For many rural families, these shows were both an education and a celebration. They inspired competition, encouraged innovation, and gave farming the respect it deserved.
In those days, competition was keen, with farmers presenting their highest-yielding maize cobs, the biggest groundnut bunches, the healthiest cattle, or the most resilient millet varieties. Winners received not just prizes but recognition and respect within their communities, while others returned home inspired to improve their craft. Agricultural shows thus became instruments of learning, aspiration, and rural development. In short, agricultural shows were more than funfairs, they were engines of rural development.
Beyond competition, these shows played a critical role in bridging the gap between producers and consumers of agricultural technology. Research institutes brought new seed varieties, improved animal breeds, and mechanization tools for demonstration. Extension agents interpreted these technologies to farmers in practical ways, while input dealers offered access to fertilizers, pesticides, and farm machinery. This seamless interaction encouraged rapid adoption of innovations at a time when agriculture was the dominant backbone of the Nigeria’s economy. They were, in essence, living classrooms where science met practice under the open skies.
Unfortunately, over the last decades, local agricultural shows in Nigeria have fallen into neglect. The reasons are not far-fetched: poor funding of agricultural departments, collapse of extension services, insecurity in rural areas, the rise of political showmanship over genuine development efforts, and the gradual erosion of community-based initiatives. State and local governments, once the principal sponsors, have shifted focus away from agriculture to urban infrastructure projects and politically attractive ventures. Research institutions that used to collaborate with these events are now themselves struggling with inadequate funding, leading to reduced field outreach. The result is that the once vibrant tradition of showcasing agricultural excellence has faded into memory.
The abandonment of these shows is not without serious consequences. It has widened the gap between farmers and modern agricultural practices. In an era where climate change, soil depletion, and rising population demand innovations, many smallholder farmers remain trapped in outdated techniques. Without regular access to platforms that demonstrate new solutions, their productivity stagnates. The absence of agricultural competitions has reduced the incentive for excellence among farmers. Also, the neglect undermines rural social cohesion. Agricultural shows were communal events that brought together farmers, traders, researchers, and government officials. They fostered unity and rural pride, something desperately needed in today’s climate of insecurity and fragmentation.
The question then arises: why should we bring them back? The answer is simple. Reviving agricultural shows in Nigeria would provide a cost-effective, culturally familiar, and practical way of promoting food security, strengthening rural economies, and encouraging innovation.
With Nigeria facing persistent food inflation, dwindling yields, and increasing import dependence, platforms that connect farmers to solutions are more urgent than ever. Agricultural shows can once again become drivers of technology transfer, capacity building, and farmer-to-farmer learning. Equally important is the symbolic value of these events. They can help restore dignity to farming as a noble profession.
For too long, farming in Nigeria has been seen as the occupation of the poor and uneducated. By celebrating excellence through competitions, exhibitions, and awards, agricultural shows will elevate farming to a respected vocation, capable of attracting youths and women who might otherwise shun it.
Revival, however, will not happen automatically. It requires deliberate commitment by governments, private sector actors, and communities. State ministries of agriculture should take the lead in institutionalising annual agricultural shows and working with local governments to host them. Private agribusinesses – inputs suppliers, tractor suppliers, and processors should see these shows as avenues for marketing, farmer education, and brand building.
To succeed in today’s world, however, agricultural shows must be modernized. Digital tools should be incorporated, such as mobile platforms that allow farmers who cannot attend physically to still access information and opportunities. Competitions should extend beyond yields to include categories like climate-smart farming practices, water management, value addition, and agripreneurship. Exhibitions should feature renewable energy solutions for farms, agro-processing machinery, and innovative financing models. Insecurity concerns also mean that shows must be well-planned with community buy-in to ensure safe participation.
The abandonment of local agricultural shows in Nigeria is one of the silent tragedies of our agricultural sector. It is loss of a simple but powerful tool for agricultural transformation, a loss of a powerful vehicle for promoting excellence, innovation, and farmer empowerment.
Yet, it is not too late. With renewed vision and collaboration, these shows can be revived and repositioned as catalysts for food security and rural transformation. The path to agricultural modernisation does not always require massive foreign loans or complicated projects. Sometimes, it requires a return to simple, home-grown traditions that worked, adapted to modern realities. Agricultural shows are such a tradition. Nigeria must not allow them to remain forgotten relics.
Ahmaad lives at FMA 2, Off Yaya (Petal) Abubakar Road, Fadamar Mada, Bauchi
Email: [email protected]