Agricultural production in Nigeria could be improved through

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which option would improve agricultural production in Nigeria. So we need the option that increases output or efficiency, and we should eliminate the ones that hurt it.

Step 2: Concept Agricultural production rises when we:

• Use improved inputs (high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, machinery)
• Protect crops from losses (pests, diseases)
• Provide credit, extension services, good storage, and roads
• Consolidate land so that mechanization is possible

Step 3: Evaluate each option

• A. Control of plant diseases: Diseases destroy crops and reduce yield. Controlling them with pesticides, fungicides, and resistant varieties means less loss and higher output. ✔ This improves production.
• B. Land fragmentation: Farms broken into tiny scattered plots make mechanization, supervision, and efficient use of resources difficult. ✘ It reduces productivity.
• C. Payment of excise duty: Excise duty is a tax on locally manufactured goods. It does not directly improve farming. ✘
• D. Introduction of low-yielding crops: Low yields mean less output. We need high-yielding crops. ✘
• E. Use of traditional implements: Hoes and cutlasses limit the area that can be cultivated and keep productivity low. Modern tools such as tractors would improve output. ✘

Step 4: Answer The only option that raises agricultural production is A. control of plant diseases.

Exam tip: In "how can production be improved" questions, pick the option with a positive, modern, or protective idea (improved seeds, fertilizers, mechanization, pest control). Be wary of words like "low-yielding," "traditional," and "fragmentation," which almost always signal wrong answers.