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•Say producing cheaper food at higher costs unsustainable
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Nigerian farmers say they are in dire straits. They are lamenting that cheaper food prices being experienced in the country are coming at a costlier and painful production costs, since they are already battling insecurity and sky-high input prices.
According to them, prices of fertiliser, insecticides, improved seeds, agrochemicals, labour, tractor services and other farm machinery have climbed sharply, eroding margins and threatening the sustainability of their operations.
Their concerns come even as the federal government celebrates what it describes as a major turnaround in food prices.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced at the weekend that the prices of essential food commodities have dropped by about 50 per cent nationwide, attributing the development to reforms introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.
Kyari spoke during the quarterly citizens and stakeholders’ engagement retreat on agricultural transformation, where he highlighted efforts by the administration to stabilise the sector.
According to him, the government has placed food security and safety of farming communities at the heart of its policy agenda since taking office, recognising agriculture as critical to national stability and economic growth.
“Our strategy has been to boost local production while reducing reliance on imports so that Nigerians can access affordable and nutritious food,” the minister said, noting that early results are beginning to reflect in the markets.
However, farmers insist that the gains may not be sustainable unless production costs are addressed.
National President of the Onion Value Chain in Nigeria, West and Central Africa, Aliyu Isah, warned that insecurity remains a major obstacle, revealing that some farmers are forced to pay bandits for access to their farmlands, often without any assurance of safety.
“These efforts reflect our commitment to improving food security and the overall well-being of citizens. We are working to sustain this trend by addressing high input costs to ensure food remains accessible and affordable.”
The Minister further stated that the government’s strategic focus on developing key value chains has positioned Nigeria as a major player in the global agricultural market.
He disclosed that the government has prioritised and developed the rice, maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, yam, cocoa, kenaf, cowpea, cassava, soybeans, cotton, onion, FMAFS tomato and oil palm value chains, thereby creating opportunities for millions of smallholder farmers and other stakeholders.
According to him, the provision of high-quality seeds, agrochemicals, safety kits, pest and disease management packs, coupled with capacity building initiatives undertaken in years 2024 and 2025 has significantly bolstered our agricultural value chains.
“These interventions have empowered farmers to boost productivity, reduce losses, and improve product quality, ultimately enhancing their livelihoods and contributing to a more robust agricultural sector.
“By enhancing their productivity, we have helped these farmers to transition from subsistence farming to thriving agribusinesses, contributing to national food security, employment generation, and economic growth”, the Minister added.
Speaking further, Kyari stated that in the last two years, the federal government had boosted agricultural productivity and food security through various initiatives.
He cited key achievements which include the distribution of over 1.9 million bags of fertilizers to nearly 1 million farmers, promoting sustainable soil management with 12,000 liters of organic fertilizers, and strengthening regulatory frameworks.
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“We have made notable collaborations and partnerships with Russia, Turkiye, India, and Canada to enhance fertilizer production and technology transfer,” he said.
He added that 109 fertilizer inspectors were trained and equipped, and over 329 industry stakeholders were trained on regulatory compliance.
Moreso, he said efforts were made to curb fake fertilizers from the markets through persecution of offenders.
“We have constructed a National Reference Laboratory and upgraded the National Fertiliser Management Platform to enhance fertiliser quality control, ensure regulatory compliance, and promote transparency in the fertiliser supply chain.
“Over 3,500 farmers were trained on organic fertilizers and soil management, promoting sustainable agriculture practices,” he added.
Kyari revealed that the 2025 Agricultural Performance survey carried out by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) in collaboration with the Ministry, other agencies, and Nongovernmental organisations highlighted steady growth in Nigeria’s agriculture, with rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam, and cassava all recording higher outputs compared to 2024.
He said: “These production gains were driven by modest expansions in cultivated areas, improved farming practices, and resilience across major producing states, reinforcing food security and sustaining agro-industrial value chains.”
Furthermore, he noted that the findings from the survey remain an essential tool for assessing the sector performance, guiding policy decisions, and advancing Nigeria’s food security agenda, adding that efforts have been made to create a conducive environment for agribusinesses to flourish nationwide amongst other things.
The Minister, therefore, called on stakeholders to prioritise agriculture as a key driver of economic growth, saying the efforts are yielding results.
“While challenges persist, we are working tirelessly to overcome them. However, achieving these goals requires a collective effort, sustained energy, partnership, and alignment of our initiatives and resources.
“We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders, leveraging resources and expertise to drive growth and transformation in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Together, let us build on our achievements and tackle the challenges ahead,” he concluded.
Also, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris. said the gathering reflected the governing philosophy of President Tinubu, which is rooted in transparency, participation and accountability, noting that governance must not operate in isolation from the people.
In his words:“ It must be open, responsive and anchored on dialogue. Today’s engagement is therefore not just an event, it is a demonstration of this administration’s commitment to keeping Nigerians informed and involved”.
Idris noted that his ministry remains committed towards ensuring that Nigerians understand the direction and purpose of these reforms.
“Our role is to bridge the gap between policy decisions and public awareness. Communication is not propaganda, it is accountability, it ensures that citizens are informed about government initiatives and are given the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback”, the Minister stressed.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, stated that the gathering underscored a fundamental principle of governance that agriculture and food security is not the responsibility of government alone, but a shared national endeavor that recognizes that farmers, processors, civil society, development partners, private actors, the media and the citizens are critical partners in shaping a resilient, productive and inclusive agrifood system.
Ogunbiyi added that the primary goal of the engagement was to foster strong and enduring partnership aimed to strengthen open and transparent communication channels where recommendations are considered, concerns are heard and questions addressed to ensure that policies and programmes are informed by practical insights, field experiences and technical expertise.
