TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES AMONG RURAL COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

This study explores the significance of traditional and cultural agricultural heritage—comprising indigenous techniques, tools, and farming practices— among rural communities in Nigeria. With agriculture serving as the backbone of rural livelihoods, traditional knowledge systems play a crucial role in sustaining food production, preserving biodiversity, and fostering community resilience. Through a qualitative lens, this paper seeks to answer three key questions: (1) What are the traditional agricultural techniques and practices used by rural Nigerian communities? (2) How do these practices contribute to food security and food sovereignty at the local level? (3) What challenges hinder the improvement, preservation, promotion, and transmission of these practices to younger generations? The research reveals a wide array of time-tested practices including shifting cultivation, intercropping, seed preservation, organic manuring, and the use of indigenous tools. These methods are not only ecologically sound but also deeply embedded in cultural and communal life, thus forming a foundation for food sovereignty. However, traditional agriculture faces numerous challenges such as climate change, rural-urban migration, policy neglect, limited access to land and credit, and a weakening intergenerational knowledge transmission system. Despite these issues, the paper identifies opportunities for revitalizing indigenous farming through education, agro-ecological integration, policy recognition, and community based management. By centering the voices and experiences of rural farmers, this study advocates for the inclusion of traditional knowledge in national agricultural development strategies and affirms its role in achieving long-term food sovereignty in Nigeria.