Farmers have issued a stark warning of worsening food inflation in Nigeria, attributing the crisis to the removal of fuel subsidies and persistent insecurity which disrupts farming activities. This has resulted in higher transportation costs for agricultural produce and further constrained food supply.
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) cautioned Nigerians to prepare for further increases in food prices, predicting that the situation might persist until August. AFAN President Kabir Ibrahim emphasized that while the current food scarcity is exacerbated by seasonal variations, the fundamental issue is the affordability of food, not its availability.
The ongoing food crisis has already sparked public concern and protests, with the Nigeria Labour Congress highlighting it as a key issue in their demand for higher minimum wages. Additionally, Northern traditional rulers and the Nigerian Bar Association have criticized the government for the hardships caused by the fuel subsidy removal.
The Federal Government has expressed concern over the rising food prices and has unveiled a revised national policy on food safety, promising an eventual abundance of food. However, farmers like Ibrahim warn against opening borders for food importation, arguing that this could undermine domestic agricultural progress.
Low productivity and high costs of farming inputs are also significant contributors to the crisis, according to Dr. Yunusa Halidu, AFAN's National Secretary. He called on the government to collaborate with farmers to address these challenges and improve the availability and affordability of farming resources.
In a related development, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has advocated for the establishment of more specialized agricultural institutions to support food security initiatives. During a public hearing on agriculture-related bills, Abbas emphasized the need for innovative and research-based agricultural reforms.
Meanwhile, Ogun State has initiated efforts to combat food insecurity. Spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Gbenga Morounfolu, announced that the state had distributed free agricultural inputs to nearly 9,000 smallholder farmers as part of a broader strategy to boost food production.
