By Zayyad I. Muhammad
Nigeria stands on the brink of a potential food crisis that could have devastating consequences for its economy, security, and social stability. If urgent and well-coordinated strategic measures are not implemented, the nation may soon find itself battling widespread food shortages, soaring prices, and heightened dependency on imports.
At the heart of the problem is the alarming trend of farmers abandoning the cultivation of essential cereal crops such as maize, rice, millet, and sorghum including others. The reasons are not far-fetched. The cost of critical agricultural inputs, including fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and improved seed varieties, has skyrocketed beyond the reach of the average smallholder farmer. These rising input prices, coupled with inflation and limited access to credit, are pushing many out of farming altogether.
Worsening the situation is the declining market value of locally produced cereals. Many farmers now find that the cost of production outweighs the profits, largely due to unregulated importation of food items, which floods the market and undermines local efforts. This double blow, high production cost and falling prices , is suffocating the morale of Nigeria’s farmers and threatening the sustainability of domestic food production.
We must admit that the Tinubu administration has made significant security gains, including the reopening of some major markets in the North that were previously shut down, and the restoration of access to farmlands that were once too dangerous
However the Tinubu administration must act swiftly and decisively to reverse this dangerous trajectory of farmers abandoning farming due to high prices of farm inputs . First and foremost, it must stabilize the agricultural sector through bold and innovative policy actions.
One immediate step should be the subsidization of essential farm inputs to ease the burden on farmers and encourage continued cultivation.
Beyond subsidies, the government must also initiate a national crop-buying program, particularly for cereal grains to mop up excess supply from farmers who still have stock from last year’s harvest but have been unable to sell due to poor prices. This intervention will not only stabilize market prices and inject liquidity into rural economies but also help rebuild farmers’ confidence in the system.
Equally important is the revival and strengthening of agricultural extension services. Many rural farmers still lack access to modern farming techniques, climate-smart practices, and post-harvest handling skills. Empowering extension workers to bridge this gap will go a long way in boosting productivity and reducing post-harvest losses.
Furthermore, flagship government initiatives such as the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative and the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme should not only be reactivated but also reformed.
These programs must be made more transparent, efficient, and inclusive , with clear performance metrics and greater accessibility for smallholder farmers, especially women and youth in agriculture. Done right, these schemes can serve as catalysts for increasing yields, improving rural livelihoods, and enhancing national food security.
Failure to act decisively would be an economic and security miscalculation. A food-insecure Nigeria is a fragile Nigeria. Hunger and poverty are known drivers of social unrest, migration, and instability, all of which carry long-term costs that far outweigh the price of preventative action today.
As the population continues to grow, the demand for food will intensify. Nigeria must therefore prioritize agricultural resilience and food self-sufficiency as a cornerstone of its national development agenda. Investing in food security is not merely an economic necessity , it is a matter of national survival.
Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980