Agriculture Was Nigeria’s Largest Employer in 2023, Engaged Over 25M Workers

Nigeria’s agriculture sector continues to be the largest employer in 2023, engaging over 25 million individuals in farming, forestry, and fishing activities. According to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), agriculture remains the backbone of the Nigerian workforce, accounting for 30.1% of the country’s total employment.

The NBS data indicates that 25,341,219 individuals are actively employed in the agriculture sector, which surpasses the wholesale and retail trade sector, Nigeria’s second-largest employer. The trade sector employs 23,133,193 people, representing 27.5% of the workforce.

This latest figure underlines the importance of agriculture in filling Nigeria’s unemployment gap, especially in rural communities where access to other employment opportunities remains limited.

Gender Distribution in Nigeria’s Workforce

The report further reveals significant gender disparities across different sectors. In agriculture, men dominate the workforce, comprising 63.8% of those employed, while women make up 36.2%. This gender imbalance is even more pronounced in other sectors such as transportation and storage, where a staggering 98.7% of workers are male, compared to just 1.3% female. The construction industry mirrors this trend, with 97.9% male and only 2.1% female workers.

Conversely, the wholesale and retail trade sector shows a more balanced gender distribution, with women constituting 67.5% of the workforce, compared to 32.5% for men.

Regional differences in employment patterns are also highlighted in the NBS report. Urban areas demonstrate higher employment rates in sectors such as information and communication (89.5%), financial and insurance activities (88.6%), and professional, scientific, and technical activities (87.7%). These urban-centric sectors benefit from better infrastructure, access to technology, and educational opportunities, which attract a more diverse workforce.

In contrast, rural areas continue to dominate in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, with 68.7% of the rural workforce engaged in these activities. This rural focus on agriculture underscores the sector’s critical role in sustaining rural economies, where industrial and service sector opportunities are often limited.

Unemployment Trends in 2023

Agriculture’s role as a major employer indicates a growing embrace of farming as a means of employment by Nigerians, especially as the unemployment crisis persists in the country. The country’s overall unemployment rate in 2023 was reported at 5.4%, with notable gender disparities: unemployment was higher among women at 6.0% compared to 4.7% for men.

Several Nigerian states reported high unemployment rates in 2023, with Abia State recording the highest at 18.7%, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at 14.1%, and Rivers State at 13.4%. States such as Gombe, Imo, and Ogun also experienced notable unemployment rates, reflecting regional economic disparities and the impact of varying local policies and conditions.

The report also indicates that agriculture is a significant part of Nigerian household economics, with about 40.2 million households, or 70% of all households in the country, engaged in agriculture. Of these, 91% are involved in crop production, while around 48% are involved in livestock farming, highlighting the diverse nature of agricultural activities across the nation.

On average, Nigerian farming households cultivate 3.3 plots of land. There is, however, significant regional variation: Ebonyi State boasts the largest average farm size at 5.9 plots, while Lagos State has the smallest at 1.9 plots, reflecting differences in land availability, urbanization pressures, and farming practices across the country.

Agriculture As Means of Employment: Nigeria vs. Developed Nations

Nigeria’s agricultural sector employs a significantly larger portion of the population compared to developed countries. In the United States, only about 2% of the total population is involved in agriculture, while in Europe, the figure is around 4.5%. This stark contrast underscores the centrality of agriculture in Nigeria’s economy, where it serves as both a safety net and a primary livelihood for millions.

Although other sectors have recorded notable growth recently, agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s workforce, deeply intertwined with the country’s socio-economic fabric. The sector’s dominance underlines broader structural and economic realities, including limited industrialization, persistent rural-urban divides, and the enduring reliance on agriculture as a primary source of income for millions.