Jennifer Cooke, a Senior Associate in the Office of the President, the United States of America (USA), leading research and analysis on political, economic and security dynamics in Africa, has the following to say on Nigeria's food production before and shortly after independence.
"During its first decade of independence, Nigeria was one of the world's most promising agricultural producers. Regionally focused policies based on the economic principle of commodity comparative advantage ensured that the agricultural sector served as the nation's main source of food and livelihoods. Nigeria was not only agriculturally self-sufficient and food secure, but it thrived in global markets as the world's largest producer of groundnuts and palm oil and as a significant producer of cotton and cocoa."
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