By Okwe Obi, Abuja
In a troubling new year message, the All Farmer Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has warned of a looming food crisis in 2025, urging citizens to prepare for tough times ahead.
AFAN hinged the warn- ing on the macroeconomic instability arising from currency volatility, insecurity and climate change.
Its National President, Kabir Ibrahim, in a new year message said: “Nigeria is on the cusp of experiencing a major catastrophe of food insecurity if extreme care is not taken judging from the macroeconomic instability arising from currency volatility, in- security, climate change and inequity.”
However, Ibrahim emphasised the urgent need for the country to prioritise food sufficiency, particularly during the crucial first quarter of the year.
According to Kabir, who doubles as the President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), the government and stake- holders, farmers must coalesce to get Nigeria out of the stranglehold of hunger and extreme poverty.
He said: “While not try- ing to sound despondent, I hasten to say that the attainment of food sufficiency for Nigerians in the first quarter of 2025
may be the elixir for the continued existence of Nigeria as a working unit.
“I say this with all sense of responsibility having been involved in Agricultural advocacy for the better part of my 66 years on earth.
“In 2024 we saw various efforts at stabilising Nigeria’s food system through various windows of support to the SHFs, the MSMEs, the SSPs and the vulnerable people but food inflation is still at an all time high at 39.93% which portends extreme hunger to a very good number of Nigerians.
“In 2025 we must coalesce as stakeholders/farmers with the government to get Nigeria out of the stranglehold of hunger and extreme poverty. We can only do this if we work as a unified body with common interests and operating from common ground.
“We have planned to hold a Presidential Round Table as NABG (Nigeria Agribusiness Group) as a wake-up-call to all SHFs, SSPs, the private sector as well as the government and all its MDAs with cross-cutting responsibilities in agriculture with the sole purpose of reinvigorating Nigeria’s entire food system.
“I believe we will be able to evolve a strategy to make Nigeria semi-food sufficient in the short-term within 2025 and in the medium-term in 2027 and finally attain sustainable food security in 2030. It may appear ambitious but evidently doable through a collective resolve to extricate our country from looming existential challenges,” he said.