Rep raises concern over rising fertilizer cost

The Member representing Tsanyawa and Ghari Federal Constituency, Engineer Sani Bala Tsanyawa, has raised serious concerns over the rising cost of fertilizer across the country, describing it as a looming crisis with far-reaching implications for national food security and the welfare of smallholder farmers. Addressing journalists during a press briefing, the federal lawmaker appealed to […]

The Member representing Tsanyawa and Ghari Federal Constituency, Engineer Sani Bala Tsanyawa, has raised serious concerns over the rising cost of fertilizer across the country, describing it as a looming crisis with far-reaching implications for national food security and the welfare of smallholder farmers.

Addressing journalists during a press briefing, the federal lawmaker appealed to all tiers of government—federal, state, and local—to take urgent and strategic steps to mitigate the impact of escalating fertilizer prices on agricultural production and rural livelihoods.

Engineer Tsanyawa lamented that the cost of a single bag of fertilizer has reached unprecedented levels, in some cases equating to the price of two bags of maize—a situation he said is both economically unjust and deeply unsustainable for the country’s agricultural ecosystem.

“It is deeply worrisome that at a time when food prices are beginning to decline in local markets, the cost of inputs—especially fertilizer—is rising at an alarming rate,” he said. “This inverse relationship threatens to push our farmers further into hardship and could significantly undermine food production in the months ahead.”

A staunch advocate of agricultural development, Engineer Tsanyawa is well known for his consistent distribution of free fertilizer to farmers across his constituency every rainy season. He noted that despite his personal interventions, the situation now requires urgent policy attention at the highest levels of government.

“This is not just about farmers in my constituency; this is a national challenge that requires coordinated policy response,” he stressed. “We cannot afford to watch passively while the backbone of our economy—agriculture—is weakened by the rising cost of critical farm inputs.”

He called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, state agricultural development agencies, and relevant local authorities to work together to make fertilizer more affordable and accessible, particularly to small-scale farmers who form the bulk of Nigeria’s food producers.

Tsanyawa further recommended the reinstatement of fertilizer subsidies, investment in local fertilizer production, and tighter regulation of distribution channels to curb artificial scarcity and profiteering by middlemen.

In closing, he offered prayers for a productive and peaceful rainy season, urging Nigerians to support and encourage the agricultural sector as a cornerstone of national stability and economic growth.

“Our farmers are the silent heroes of this country. We must not allow rising costs to silence their efforts or diminish their contributions. Supporting agriculture is not just an economic necessity—it is a moral imperative,” he said.