AbstractNigeria was once a leading producer of many agricultural products, and still has much unused potential (under half her cultivatable land is currently cultivated). Despite this, food imports increased around thirty times from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.Research and development have not been as effective as they should be in increasing output. Reasons include the frequent restructuring of the Nigerian science and technology councils and other political matters, the lack of funding, and the poor links of research and extension services with the important but often largely ignored small farm sector (including the lack of farm trials). Change will not come easily.