Nigeria’s food security paradox

As we reflect on World Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16, Nigeria’s deepening food security crisis comes into sharp relief. With a population now exceeding 200 million — and projected to double in the next three decades — the country faces a troubling paradox. Despite its vast agricultural resources, fertile land, and hardworking farmers, […]

As we reflect on World Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16, Nigeria’s deepening food security crisis comes into sharp relief. With a population now exceeding 200 million — and projected to double in the next three decades — the country faces a troubling paradox. Despite its vast agricultural resources, fertile land, and hardworking farmers, millions of Nigerians still go hungry daily. Hunger, malnutrition, and food inflation have become distressingly common in many households.

Farming, once the proud backbone of Nigeria’s economy, is today a path of hardship. Rising costs of production inputs – fertilizers, seeds, fuel, and mechanisation services have pushed countless smallholder farmers to the brink. Many cannot afford essential materials to plant or harvest. The result is reduced output, higher food prices, and worsening rural poverty. Poor access to credit and extension services compounds the crisis, while unstructured markets deny farmers fair prices for their produce. Even after a successful harvest, they often sell at giveaway rates while middlemen and speculators profit.

The situation has been worsened by unrelenting insecurity across the country’s farming zones. Farmers are being kidnapped, killed, or forced to abandon their lands. Entire communities have been displaced, farms left idle, and food supply routes cut off. This has triggered shortages and driven inflation to record highs. The collapse of rural livelihoods has widened inequality and forced many young people to migrate to cities or abroad in search of safety and opportunity.

It was against this backdrop that the United States suddenly listed Nigeria among countries of particular concern, citing severe insecurity, governance challenges, and recurring violations of human rights. Though the declaration was largely framed around religious freedom and civic protection, it has broader implications. It signals a growing international alarm over the Nigerian state’s inability to safeguard its citizens — especially in rural areas where violence, displacement, and hunger now intersect. The designation serves as a stark reminder that food insecurity, when compounded by conflict and poor governance, can become a matter of global humanitarian concern.

The ripple effects of insecurity are equally severe in Nigeria’s livestock sector. Pastoralists, who depend on grazing and mobility for their livelihoods, are facing some of the most difficult times in living memory. Climate change has accelerated desertification in the northern rangelands, reducing pasture and water points. Expanding crop farms, mining, and urbanization have swallowed up grazing corridors, leaving herders with fewer options. As they move southward in search of fodder and water, conflicts with sedentary farmers have escalated, often violently.

This perpetual displacement has devastating social and economic costs. It erodes pastoral livelihoods, breaks community ties, and reduces the national livestock population. Many herders, faced with mounting losses, have been forced to sell off their animals or abandon their way of life entirely. The decline in livestock production has direct nutritional consequences: fewer Nigerians can afford animal protein such as milk, eggs, or meat, worsening malnutrition in children and pregnant women.

As we reflect on this year’s World Food Day theme, “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind,” it becomes clear that farmers and pastoralists must be at the centre of Nigeria’s agricultural recovery. The government must take decisive action to reduce the cost of production inputs through targeted subsidies, tax reliefs, and incentives. Irrigation infrastructure should be expanded to enable dry-season farming and stabilise yields. For livestock producers, the creation of well-managed grazing reserves, water points, and veterinary services is essential to reduce forced migration and conflict.

Equally important is the need for structured agricultural markets that guarantee fair prices. Governments at federal and state levels must reintroduce commodity boards, cooperatives, and warehousing systems to help farmers store and sell their produce profitably. Security must also be prioritised. Protecting rural communities through a combination of state forces and local intelligence networks is vital to restoring confidence in farming.

Women and youth, who make up the largest share of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, require special attention. They are often locked out of land ownership, credit, and modern inputs. Yet their potential is enormous. Empowering them through access to finance, training, and agribusiness opportunities will not only increase food production but also curb rural unemployment and social unrest.

Climate change remains an overarching threat. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, and prolonged droughts are already disrupting planting seasons and reducing yields. The government must urgently scale up climate-resilient agriculture promoting drought-tolerant crops, efficient irrigation systems, soil conservation, and integrated crop/livestock systems. Sustainable land use planning and reforestation initiatives will help preserve the environment while ensuring agricultural continuity.

To sustain long-term progress, Nigeria must invest heavily in agricultural research and innovation. Developing improved seeds, animal breeds, and farming technologies adapted to local realities will increase productivity and resilience. Digital technology can also revolutionise agriculture — from early warning systems for weather and pests to mobile-based credit and market platforms that connect farmers directly to buyers.

Access to finance remains a major bottleneck. Most small-scale farmers and pastoralists operate outside the formal banking system. Expanding agricultural credit schemes, reducing collateral requirements, and introducing microinsurance programmes will help them invest confidently in their businesses.

The recent U.S. designation of Nigeria as a country of concern should be taken as a wake-up call rather than an embarrassment. It highlights the urgent need to address the root causes of insecurity, poverty, and food crisis not merely through speeches, but through action. A hungry nation is a vulnerable nation; instability and hunger are deeply intertwined.

Nigeria’s food security challenge is complex, but it is not insurmountable. With political will, coordinated investment, and sustained collaboration among government, farmers, herders, and the private sector, the country can still reverse the current decline. Agriculture must be treated not as a social program but as a strategic national security priority.

The time to act is now. By ensuring that every Nigerian farmer or pastoralist, man or woman, young or old has the means to produce, trade, and eat, we can build a nation where no one goes to bed hungry and where food, once again, becomes our greatest source of strength and stability.

 

Ahmad resides at FMA2offYayaAbubakarRoad,

FadamarMada, Bauchi [email protected]