Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has said his farm pays graduate workers a minimum wage of N500,000
The self-styled farmer governor said this in Lagos during the opening ceremony of the FirstBank Agric & Export Expo 2026 with the theme “From farm to global markets: Building Nigeria’s Export Value Chain”
Bago highlighted the potential of agriculture, particularly livestock production, as a major source of employment and economic growth
According to the governor, the wages paid on his farm are higher than what many government workers earn
“In our farm, we pay a graduate minimum 500,000 monthly,” Bago said
“How much does the government pay? FirstBank, how much do you pay?”
Bago said the disparity showed the potential of private agricultural enterprises to provide attractive employment opportunities
“It means I can poach all FirstBank workers who earn less than my minimum wage, to my farm,” he said
The governor called on more private investors to venture into agriculture
“So, I want to encourage the private sector to do more,” he said
Bago also warned that Nigeria’s dependence on food imports was unsustainable and called for a deliberate national policy to prioritise domestic production
He emphasised what he called food sovereignty, describing it as paramount
He said Nigeria had imported food worth more than $3 billion in the year, with the figure potentially reaching $4 billion before the end of the year
“It is scary,” Bago said