Abstract

The Nigerian rice industry is a crucial non-oil, agricultural sector in terms of its gross output and exports. Due to the significance of rice in Nigeria, government has placed a great emphasis on increasing rice production in order to achieve self - sufficiency. The industry is dominated by private sector investment and possesses bright prospects for attracting further private investments for generating greater export earnings and employment opportunities. In view of the aforementioned, this paper assesses the impact of trade liberalization policy to the performance of Nigeria’s rice sector. Specifically, the study looks at the implementation of the Agreement on Agriculture by Nigeria’s major agricultural trading partners. Finally, recommendations are provided for policy makers in order to ensure that positive outcomes are recorded from the trade policy reforms.

Key words: Agreement on agriculture, food security, rice, trade policies, trade   liberalization.