By Lanre Shodimu
In a bold call for economic transformation, a Nigerian agro-industrial expert has urged African nations to abandon the long-standing practice of exporting raw agricultural products and instead build robust local processing industries capable of driving jobs, wealth creation, and sustainable growth.
A leading agribusiness figure, Ambassador Segun Alabi, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Africa’s agricultural model, warning that continued reliance on raw exports is stunting economic growth and deepening unemployment across the continent.
Speaking in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of Davidorlah Nigeria Limited stressed that Africa’s paradox of abundant natural resources alongside widespread poverty stems largely from its failure to harness value addition.
He lamented that for decades, African countries have exported agricultural produce in its raw state, only to re-import finished goods at significantly higher costs—a cycle he described as economically damaging.
According to Alabi, “We grow the crops, export them raw, and import them back processed. In doing so, we export jobs and import unemployment.”
He illustrated this with the example of pineapple production, noting that while a raw pineapple may fetch between $3 and $5, processing it into juice concentrate, dried fruit, or pharmaceutical extracts could multiply its value several times over.
Alabi explained that this realization informed the creation of Davidorlah Nigeria Limited as an integrated agro-industrial platform focused not just on farming but on large-scale processing and export of high-value agricultural products.
He added that such a model has the potential to transform Nigeria’s economy by creating jobs, boosting GDP, reducing import dependency, and attracting foreign investment.
Describing the initiative as more than a business venture, Alabi positioned it as a nation-building effort capable of reversing youth migration trends and strengthening Africa’s industrial base.
He also called on governments to create enabling policies, particularly in agro-processing infrastructure, export facilitation, and access to financing, while urging investors to shift focus toward value-chain opportunities.
“To invest in agriculture today is to invest beyond farming—it is to invest in industrial growth and economic transformation,” he said.
Alabi further declared that Africa must reposition itself globally, not merely as a supplier of raw materials but as a producer of finished, value-added goods.
“The time has come to stop exporting our wealth in its raw form and start processing for prosperity,” he concluded.
