Reimagining Agriculture for National Wellness

As Nigeria grapples with rising mental health concerns, lifestyle-related diseases, and the urgent need to diversify its economy, Dr. Mrs. Moji Davids, Group Managing Director of Xtralarge Farms & Resorts, believes the answer lies in the nation's agricultural sector. Rather than viewing agriculture solely as a source of food production, Davids is urging the Federal Government and key stakeholders to reimagine farms as centers of healing, recreation, and economic empowerment.

In a policy advocacy paper titled, "Agritourism: Nigeria's Untapped Gateway to Wellness Tourism, Mental Stability and a Healthier Nation," she argued that integrating agriculture, tourism, and healthcare offers a practical pathway to addressing some of Nigeria's most pressing socio-economic challenges. The country faces mounting mental health pressures fueled by rapid urbanisation and economic hardship, alongside the need to create sustainable jobs.

The future demands that agriculture, tourism and healthcare work together. Agritourism represents this convergence. It is the deliberate integration of agriculture, hospitality, education, recreation, nutrition, environmental sustainability and wellness into a single transformative experience.

— Dr. Mrs. Moji Davids, Group Managing Director, Xtralarge Farms & Resorts

Nature as a Catalyst for Preventive Healthcare

Davids highlighted that agritourism shifts the perception of farms from mere production centers into destinations that encourage healthier lifestyles. Drawing from global experiences in Italy, Japan, and South Korea, she noted that wellness tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the international travel industry. Nigeria, she stated, possesses extraordinary biodiversity and medicinal plants that remain largely unharnessed.

Scientific evidence shows that nature-based experiences help lower stress, improve cardiovascular health, and enhance emotional wellbeing. By investing in environments that promote emotional restoration, the nation can reduce the long-term burden of chronic diseases on the healthcare system and improve overall national productivity.

The human body was designed to interact with nature. Fresh air is medicine. Natural sunlight is medicine. Physical movement is medicine. Wholesome food is medicine. Meaningful human connection is medicine. Silence is medicine. The farm naturally provides all of these.

— Dr. Mrs. Moji Davids, Group Managing Director, Xtralarge Farms & Resorts

Driving Rural Industrialisation and Job Creation

Beyond the clinical health benefits, agritourism is presented as a powerful economic engine. Thriving agritourism destinations generate additional income for farmers while opening new opportunities for hotels, transport operators, artisans, and food processors. This model represents a shift toward rural industrialisation that can provide stable employment across multiple sectors.

Davids identified stress, traffic congestion, and social isolation as silent threats to national productivity. She maintained that reconnecting people with nature can play a significant role in restoring the emotional wellbeing of the workforce. By transforming one farm into a wellness destination, an entire ecosystem of enterprise is created.

One farm can create an entire ecosystem of employment and enterprise. Agritourism therefore represents not merely agricultural diversification but rural industrialisation.

— Dr. Mrs. Moji Davids, Group Managing Director, Xtralarge Farms & Resorts

A Call for Strategic Policy Support

The advocate called on the Federal Government to formally recognise agritourism as a strategic economic sector. This would involve policy support, investment incentives, and stronger collaboration among the ministries of agriculture, tourism, health, and education. She also encouraged financial institutions to develop specialised funding models for agritourism enterprises.

Xtralarge Farms & Resorts has already initiated this vision through its "Foodspital" initiative, which combines nutrition and hospitality to promote healthier lifestyles. Davids expressed optimism that with the right investment, Nigeria could emerge as Africa's leading wellness tourism destination.

If Nigeria is serious about building a healthier, happier and more prosperous society, then agritourism must move from the margins of policy discussions to the centre of our national development agenda. The seeds of that future are already in our soil.

— Dr. Mrs. Moji Davids, Group Managing Director, Xtralarge Farms & Resorts