By Simeon Shodimu
Agricultural sector just like other sectors is critical to national development. Industrialised nations of the world never abandoned agriculture because they understand the importance of self sufficiency in food production .
Businessday provided us with the right knowledge and insight into efforts of individuals at boosting productivity and food security in Nigeria .
Exclusive to Businessday, the interview featured Tayo Ilori, the General Manager of Golden Fertilizer Limited, a subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, and a leading agro-allied company specialising in fertiliser blending, distribution and supply.
He spoke passionately about the impact of the Iran war on Nigeria’s fertiliser industry and how Golden Fertilizer is navigating the challenge to ensure availability for smallholder farmers.
He acknowledged the immediate effects of the war which has led to sharp increases in the price of critical fertiliser raw materials, as well as elevated freight costs and overall supply chain uncertainty.
‘For Nigeria, this is yet another reminder that national food security cannot be outsourced. External shocks like this will recur, and the real question we confront is how resilient our local systems are”. He said.
“the good news is that Nigeria has made progress in building domestic capacity, but there is still a lot more to be done to fully insulate the sector from global disruptions”. He added .
While noting that the Iran conflict is disrupting global fertiliser supplies.
He spoke on the prospect of Golden Fertilizer and how it’s navigating the current challenge, and the strategies being implemented to ensure availability for Nigerian farmers, he said
“Our response has been deliberate and forward-looking. We are de-risking our supply chain by deepening local sourcing where possible and maintaining flexible sourcing partnerships across multiple markets”. He said
While stating that the focus is at ensuring continuity for the farmer, seeing as we are on the cusp of the commencement of the 2026 planting season. That means anticipating demand, strengthening inventory buffers, and aligning production cycles more closely with the realities of the season.
” times like this, the role of a leading player is not just to react, but to help stabilise the system. Our priority is to limit the vulnerability of Nigerian farmers and, by extension, domestic food security, to such global volatility”. He said.
While adding that Nigeria must do more to insulate its food systems from global shocks.
Nothing that the focus is on ensuring continuity for the farmer, seeing as we are on the cusp of the commencement of the 2026 planting season. That means anticipating demand, strengthening inventory buffers, and aligning production cycles more closely with the realities of the season.
“In times like this, the role of a leading player is not just to react, but to help stabilise the system. Our priority is to limit the vulnerability of Nigerian farmers and, by extension, domestic food security, to such global volatility”. He said.
On strategy for increasing local sourcing, and impacting operations and the broader economy, Ilorin said the strategy is to leverage these raw material endowments to move beyond basic blending into more integrated, locally anchored fertiliser production, supported by partnerships within the domestic industrial ecosystem.
He acknowledged that the impact goes beyond business, and that an increased local sourcing eases pressure on domestic foreign exchange resources, strengthens raw material beneficiation and industrial linkage, creates jobs, and ultimately helps build a more self-reliant agricultural economy. It is both a business imperative and a national priority.
On strategy at increasing fertiliser adoption among Nigerian farmers, and how the company will make it more accessible and affordable, Ilori said
that the reality is that fertiliser use in Nigeria is not just low, it is structurally constrained. Farmers are not unwilling to use more fertiliser or to bring fertiliser application to optimal levels; they are often unable—due to cost, access, and limited awareness of the associated benefits.
He stated that adoption is ultimately driven by trust and results and when farmers see a clear improvement in yield at harvest and, consequently, income, an increase in fertiliser usage/hectare becomes a business decision, not a gamble.
On the issue of balancing commercial goals with sustainability in leadership role at Golden Fertilizer, Ilori stated that sustainability shouldn’t be a tradeoff, but as a driver of long-term profitability and resilience.
“If farmers are not productive, if soils are degraded, or if value chains are inefficient, then food sustainability becomes unsustainable” ..He said
“our approach is to focus on things such as precision crop nutrition―encouraging the use and application of fertilisers in a manner amenable to soil conditions to prevent runoff, waste, and soil degradation” .
He noted .
