The Group Managing Director of Xtralarge Farms & Resorts, Dr. Mrs. Moji Davids, has urged the Federal Government to recognise agritourism as a strategic national development tool, arguing that it can strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system, improve mental wellbeing, diversify the economy and create sustainable employment opportunities.

Davids made the call in a policy advocacy paper titled “Agritourism: Nigeria’s Untapped Gateway to Wellness Tourism, Mental Stability and a Healthier Nation,” where she advocated integrating agriculture, tourism and healthcare to tackle some of the country’s socio-economic challenges.

She noted that Nigeria is grappling with rising lifestyle-related illnesses, growing mental health concerns driven by urbanisation and economic pressures, as well as the need to reduce dependence on traditional sources of revenue.

According to her, agritourism offers an opportunity to transform farms into centres for recreation, education, hospitality, wellness and economic empowerment.

“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,” she said.

Davids argued that while agriculture has traditionally been viewed as food production, tourism as entertainment and healthcare as treatment, the future requires stronger collaboration among the sectors to promote healthier lifestyles and economic growth.

She highlighted the rapid expansion of wellness tourism globally, citing countries such as Italy, Japan, Costa Rica and South Korea as examples of nations that have successfully integrated nature-based experiences into their tourism industries.

“Nigeria possesses every natural advantage needed to become Africa’s leading agritourism and wellness destination. Our biodiversity is extraordinary. Our climate is favourable. Our indigenous foods are rich in nutritional value. Our medicinal plants are among the most diverse on the continent. Yet we have barely scratched the surface of this opportunity,” she said.

Davids also stressed the health benefits of spending time in nature, saying scientific evidence shows it reduces stress, improves cardiovascular health, promotes physical activity and enhances emotional wellbeing.

“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,” she added.

She said wellness-focused farm experiences could encourage healthier eating habits, better sleep, increased physical activity and stronger family relationships, thereby reducing the burden of chronic diseases and lowering long-term healthcare costs.

Davids further described agritourism as a catalyst for rural industrialisation, saying it could generate additional income for farmers while creating opportunities for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, artisans, food processors and other rural businesses.

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

On mental health, Davids said stress, isolation, traffic congestion and economic uncertainty continue to undermine national productivity, adding that reconnecting people with nature could improve emotional wellbeing.

“Sometimes healing begins when people reconnect with creation itself. A nation that invests in environments promoting emotional restoration invests directly in its future productivity,” she said.

She called on the Federal Government to provide policy support and investment incentives for agritourism, while urging closer collaboration among the ministries of agriculture, tourism, health and education. She also appealed to financial institutions to create dedicated funding models for agritourism ventures and encouraged universities to establish research programmes on agritourism, wellness and sustainable rural development.

Davids said Xtralarge Farms & Resorts is advancing the concept through its Foodspital initiative, which combines agriculture, nutrition, hospitality and wellness to promote healthier living.

“Our belief is simple. The farm of the future will produce far more than crops. It will produce healthier families, stronger minds, thriving communities, sustainable businesses, confident young entrepreneurs and ultimately, a healthier nation,” she said.

She maintained that Nigeria has the resources to become Africa’s leading wellness tourism destination if agritourism is made a central component of national development.

“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,” Davids said.