Follow Us on Google
By Chinyere Anyanwu
The youth arm of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), South-West chapter, has raised the alarm over the high level of insecurity posing a major threat to farming activities, food production and rural livelihoods across the region.
This was revealed in a recent communiqué issued by the group, which was made available to journalists by its Chairman, Mr. Feyisayo Dada.
It urged President Bola Tinubu and governors of the South West states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo to swiftly move to reverse the trend.
The group acknowledged the strides made by President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and various agricultural interventions aimed at boosting food production across the country.
Other News
However, the farmers stated that insecurity remained a major threat to the success of those initiatives and to Nigeria’s broader food security objectives. They lamented cases of abduction and attacks on farmers, describing it as a key challenge. According to the group, many farmers have abandoned farms due to fear of abduction and ransom demands.
The farmers cited destruction of crops by animals as a major cause of conflict, urging authorities to promote modern livestock management systems.
The group further highlighted a mismatch between agricultural inputs distributed by Federal Government programmes and the ecological realities of the South West climate and soil conditions.
It called for an inclusive livestock development approach, demanding equal support for fisheries, poultry, small ruminants, piggery, rabbit production, snail farming, and beekeeping, not just cattle.
The youth farmers also advocated mechanisation to replace indigent farming, recommending tractor hiring centres, equipment leasing, digital agriculture, and agribusiness innovation hubs for young farmers.
To tackle insecurity, the group recommended establishing specialised Agro-Rangers and Farm Protection Security Units, joint security task forces, and deploying surveillance drones and community intelligence systems across the South West region.
