Exploiting the Potentials of Inland Valleys of Nigeria for Poverty Alleviatio

Abstract

Poverty is steering at the face of most developing countries particularly the Sub-Sahara Africa in spite of the abundance inland valleys which have the potential of growing three crops in sequence within a year without irrigation. Inland valleys show considerable potential for intensification and sustainable land use. The potential impact of this valley is related to the presence of water and total areas covered for the production of many food crops. However, they are only marginally utilized. The paper highlighted the abundance of this high potential natural resource, existing cropping systems in the inland valleys of Nigeria. It further elucidated (1) the potential of inland valley as a highly productive agricultural land source for resource poor farmer (2) the research interventions to increase productivity, and 3) other relevant issues pertaining to resilience of the systems, were reported. The yields of crops in inland valleys are generally much higher than on the uplands. The naturally abound inland valley in Nigeria is a high resource potential for food crop production. It is robust and resilient resource that could support triple cropping systems on sustainable basis without the fear of deterioration. Each component of the triple crops in the inland valley out yielded the single crop in the upland counterpart. Thus, for Nigeria and indeed Africa to be food sufficient, judicious management of wetlands may likely be the pathway to satisfactorily meeting the food supply of teaming population of a continent plagued by poor soils, drought and environmental destruction.