5 Facts About Dry Season Farming in Nigeria You Should Know

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Dry season farming is the practice of planting and cultivating crops during the dry season in Nigeria, usually between the month of October and March.

Due to the limited or lack of rainfall during this period, farmers depend heavily on irrigation systems to water their farms. This practice of farming has been encouraged by agricultural experts in order to improve food security levels in the country and the profitability of farmers.

In 2017, the Nigerian government distributed over 9.5 billion Naira worth of farm inputs to farmers for dry season farming. The scheme had a success rate of 92%.

Here are Facts About Dry Season Farming

If you are considering specialising in dry season farming or adding it to your farming activities, here are some facts you should know:

  1. Dry Season Farming Improves Food Availability
  2. Irrigation for Dry Season Farming in Nigeria
  3. Improves the Quality of the Soil
  4. There are Fewer Pests and Diseases During the Dry Season
  5. Transportation of Farm Produce to the Market is Easier

Dry Season Farming Improves Food Availability

A larger percentage of foods produced in the country are planted during the rainy season, such as maize, cassava, potatoes, groundnut, yam, plantain and more. During this period there is an abundance of these farm produce in the market and are cheaper, however, when the dry season draws closer, they become a scarce commodity and are more expensive.

However, with dry season farming, farmers can make these foods available at affordable rates. It also improves the level of food security and ensures the country can meet the food needs of its growing population.

Irrigation for Dry Season Farming in nigeria

The limitation of farmers during the dry season is the lack of rainfall, which is why for dry season farming to be successful water must be readily available for these crops that are usually planted during the wet/rainy season. 

To provide water for the crops during this period, farmers make use of irrigation, either traditionally such as sourcing for water from a well or other sources and manually watering the land or through modern methods, which are not labour intensive and are advised for the best results. Drip irrigation, sprinkler system or rain gun irrigation are popular modern irrigation methods that you can use. 

Improves the Quality of the Soil

The process of preparing the land and the irrigation of the soil during the dry season helps to keep the temperature of the soil well regulated, which could have been affected by extreme climate conditions such as heat waves during the dry season.

Dry season farming also helps to preserve and improve the nutrient through crop rotation i.e planting a variety of crops during the wet season and another during the dry season.

There are Fewer Pests and Diseases During the Dry Season

One of the major advantages of the dry season that is mostly overlooked is the reduced occurrence of pest infestations and diseases. Most of the pests and diseases that attack crops during the regular planting or rainy season are less during the dry season, thereby increasing yield per acre for farmers.

Transportation of Farm Produce to the Market is Easier

A larger percentage of farms in Nigeria are situated in the rural area, 70% of farmers in Nigeria are smallholder farmers who are located in the rural areas. 

During the rainy season, due to the poor road networks leading to rural farms, it is harder to transport farm produce because of muddy or flooded roads. It costs farmers more to transport farm produce during the rainy season than it would during the dry season because the roads are more transport friendly dry season.

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Frank Altman

Non-Executive Director

Pioneer of secondary markets for community development and $3.5B+ in managed funding.

Frank Altman is the founder and first CEO of the Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF), USA, where he pioneered secondary markets for economic development loans. Under his leadership, CRF funded over $3.5 billion in loans across 50 U.S. states. He was instrumental in designing the federal New Markets Tax Credit and is an advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Altman is an Ashoka Senior Fellow and the author of A New Capitalism: Creating A Just Economy That Works For All. He brings global expertise in risk management and capital structures to Babban Gona.

Michael Jainzik

Independent Non-Executive Director

Michael Jainzik works as an independent consultant and brings his extensive expertise in the areas of agricultural finance, international investments, risk management and corporate governance. He is currently based in Rome, Italy.
 
From 2001 to 2011, Michael worked as an investment professional at KfW Development Bank, focusing on international debt financing and equity investments in investment funds and banking institutions, mainly in the areas of agricultural finance and microfinance. From 2011 to 2015 he worked as Director of KfW’s office in Windhoek. In this role, he helped manage and develop KfW’s EUR 250 million portfolio in Namibia. From 2015 to 2017, he took on the position of Head of Corporate Development at Access Microfinance Holding, where he was responsible for structuring and leading a merger process between Access Holding and another company.
 
Prior to joining Babban Gona, Michael served as a non-executive director in Access Bank Azerbaijan (2006-2011, Chairman), Belarusian Bank for Small Business (2008-2011), Rural Impulse Fund II Luxemburg (2010-2011) and AB Bank Zambia (2011-2016).
 
Michael studied economics and management at the Universities of Lüneburg and Witten/Herdecke (Germany) and at ETEA – Universidad Loyola in Córdoba (Spain) and holds a Master’s degree in economics and management.

Alhaji Bello Maccido

Board Chairman

Over 32 years of executive leadership in corporate and investment banking.

Alhaji Bello Maccido is a distinguished leader in the Nigerian financial services sector. He currently serves as the Chairman of FBN Merchant Bank Ltd. and has previously held board positions at FBN Holdings Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, and Legacy Pension Manager Limited.

He holds the traditional title of “Wakilin Sokoto” and is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.

Alhaji Maccido’s educational background includes an LL.B from Ahmadu Bello University and an MBA from Wayne State University. He is a Barrister at Law (BL) of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and an alumnus of executive programs at Harvard Business School and IMD Lausanne.

Muhammad Sanusi, CON

Chairman of the Board

His Highness Muhammad Sanusi was appointed the 10th Governor and Chairman of the Board, Central Bank of Nigeria on 3 June 2009. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and also has a first-class degree in Sharia and Islamic Studies from the African International University, Khartoum, Sudan.
 
From working as a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, where he taught Economics, he joined the banking industry in 1985, and by January 2009 had risen to General Manager and Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Nigeria’s oldest and biggest bank. Mallam Sanusi has been conferred with a National Award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has also been awarded the “Global Central Bank Governor for 2010” by The Banker Magazine, a publication of the Financial Times.
 
He was also voted Central Bank Governor of the Year for Sub-Saharan Africa 2009 (an award he won again in 2010) by Emerging Markets, a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investors. In 2011, Mr. Sanusi was named Forbes Africa Person of the Year for 2011. He was also listed by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kola Masha (Managing Director) Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore.

Lola Masha

Non-Executive Director

Dr. Lola Masha is a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of mobility, technology, and agriculture. She currently serves as a Partner at Antler, a global early-stage venture capital firm. Previously, she was the Regional General Manager for North, East, and West Africa at Bolt, overseeing strategic operations in a high-growth mobility sector.

Her career includes leadership roles as Director of Trust and Safety at OLX Group (overseeing 30+ markets) and Country Manager for OLX Nigeria. She was also one of the earliest employees at Google Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Masha holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.Sc. from the University of Virginia.

Kola Masha

Managing Director

First leader of a for-profit social enterprise to win the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

Prior to co-founding Babban Gona, Kola was CEO of a subsidiary in the Notore Group, where he led a commercial strategy to sell one million tons of fertilizer and raised $130 million in equity.

He has held leadership roles at GE and Abiomed and served as a Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.

Under his leadership, Babban Gona became the first for-profit social enterprise to win the prestigious Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, recognizing the organization’s innovative approach to transforming smallholder farming in Nigeria.

He holds an MBA with Honors from Harvard and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

Kola Masha

 

Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he raised US$24 Million to develop an integrated agricultural trading, production and processing business.

Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.

He led the effort to raise $130 million in equity and the restructuring of $360 Million in debt. Kola brings significant leadership experience in venture capital, corporate finance, business development, marketing and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed. In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.

In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.