Governor Bago Reveals Farm Workers Earn N500,000 Monthly

On September 17, during the opening ceremony of the FirstBank Agric & Export Expo 2026, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago revealed that graduate workers on his farm earn a minimum of N500,000 monthly. He stated this amount exceeds salaries offered by many government agencies and private employers.

Bago used his farm's wage structure to demonstrate the potential of private agriculture as a significant employer of skilled labor. He pointed out the disparity between agricultural and corporate wages, suggesting that well-managed farming enterprises could attract workers from established institutions.

Additionally, he raised concerns about Nigeria's increasing reliance on imported food, noting that the country had already spent over $3 billion on food imports in the year, with projections of reaching $4 billion by year-end. Bago called for a national policy focused on food sovereignty and urged the private sector to invest more in agriculture, particularly in livestock production, to drive employment and economic growth.