- Neglected indigenous crops emerge as powerful tools against hunger, malnutrition and climate change
Nigeria’s quest for sustainable food security may depend as much on rediscovering forgotten indigenous crops as it does on increasing production of popular staples, according to agricultural experts who are calling for urgent investments in underutilised legumes to strengthen nutrition, climate resilience and rural livelihoods.
The experts made the case during Agversation, the flagship dialogue series of Farmer Square Africa, where discussions centred on the theme, “Beyond Cowpea and Soybean: Unlocking the Potential of Underutilized Legumes.” The virtual session featured Dr. Taofeek Tope Adegboyega, President of the Society for Underutilized Legumes (SUL), who argued that many indigenous legumes capable of transforming Nigeria’s food system continue to receive little attention from policymakers, researchers and investors.
According to Dr. Adegboyega, Nigeria possesses one of Africa’s richest collections of indigenous legumes, many of which are naturally drought tolerant, improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and offer exceptional nutritional value. Yet, he noted, these crops remain largely excluded from national agricultural priorities, commercial seed systems and food value chains.
He warned that the country’s heavy reliance on a limited number of staple crops is exposing its food system to increasing risks associated with climate change, declining soil fertility and worsening malnutrition.
Among the neglected crops highlighted were Bambara groundnut, African yam bean, pigeon pea, Kersting’s groundnut and winged bean. Although cultivated in pockets across Nigeria, they continue to receive limited research funding, weak policy support and minimal commercial investment.
Dr. Adegboyega explained that several of these legumes contain between 18 and 39 per cent protein, with winged bean ranking among the richest plant-based protein sources globally. In addition to their protein content, the crops provide essential micronutrients including iron, zinc and calcium, making them valuable tools for addressing hidden hunger, child malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
Beyond household consumption, he said the crops possess significant industrial potential. They can be processed into flour, noodles, bread and complementary foods, creating opportunities for food manufacturers while reducing dependence on imported raw materials.
The climate benefits, he added, are equally significant.
Because legumes naturally replenish soil nitrogen, expanding their cultivation could reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers, improve soil health and help farming systems better withstand drought and changing weather patterns. Wider adoption would also create employment opportunities across production, processing and marketing while strengthening the livelihoods of rural communities, particularly women farmers who traditionally cultivate many indigenous legumes.
However, Dr. Adegboyega observed that numerous structural constraints continue to hinder their development. Poor access to improved seeds, inadequate investment in research, pest and disease challenges, limited processing facilities, weak market systems, poor infrastructure and policy bias towards cereal crops have collectively slowed their commercialisation.
He cautioned that these challenges reinforce one another, creating a cycle where limited research restricts the development of improved varieties, discourages private investment and prevents viable value chains from emerging.
Participants at the dialogue called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, universities, agricultural research organisations, development partners, food manufacturers, farmer groups and private-sector investors to unlock the economic and nutritional potential of indigenous legumes.
Among the recommendations were increased funding for research, integration of underutilised legumes into national agricultural development strategies, stronger seed multiplication systems, greater support for women-led community seed enterprises and incentives for food manufacturers to develop legume-based products. Dr. Adegboyega also stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships between researchers and industry to ensure scientific innovations translate into commercially viable products.
Speaking on the motivation behind the initiative, Founder of Farmer Square Africa, Timilehin Osunde, said the Agversation series was established to bridge the gap between agricultural research and practical implementation by creating a platform where farmers, researchers, policymakers, agribusinesses and development practitioners can exchange ideas and identify solutions to emerging challenges in African agriculture.
She noted that meaningful dialogue remains essential to accelerating agricultural transformation across the continent, adding that stronger collaboration between knowledge producers and end-users would be critical to building resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems.
As concerns over food insecurity, climate change and nutrition continue to grow across Africa, the conversation reinforced a growing consensus among agricultural experts that the continent’s neglected indigenous crops could become strategic assets in achieving food sovereignty, improving rural incomes and building climate-resilient agriculture.
