Farmers Flee Fields: Insecurity Undermines Nigeria's Food Security

It is simply unrealistic for any nation to anticipate sufficient food production from its agricultural sector when farmers are routinely displaced from their lands by terrorists and bandits, subjected to illegal taxes, have their crops ruined, or even face death for non-compliance. This grave reality was uncovered by the Nigerian Tribune through comprehensive investigations spanning Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Plateau, Benue, Niger, and Borno states. Across Nigeria's northern regions, agriculturalists are progressively deserting their farms due to pervasive insecurity. The message is clear: ensuring food security remains an unattainable goal without first guaranteeing safety for farming communities.

The economic ramifications of this violence are equally dire. Data from the World Bank indicates a significant surge in crop losses across Nigeria, escalating from approximately 6.0 percent of cultivated plots in the 2018/19 farming season to over 20 percent in 2023/24 – a more than threefold increase. This implies that even when farmers manage to cultivate their land, they are increasingly unable to complete harvests and fully realize the value of their labor.

In various parts of the North, armed factions extort levies from farmers before permitting them to cultivate their own land. For instance, in Katsina, farmers have reported paying “security levies” amounting to millions of naira, with refusal often leading to violent attacks. This practice is not taxation; it constitutes economic warfare. Farmers operating under such oppressive conditions cannot reasonably be expected to achieve large-scale production.

In Borno State, the insurgency has severely crippled agricultural output in a region that once boasted immense potential for staples like wheat. A 2025 agricultural study revealed that the Boko Haram insurgency had effectively nullified Borno’s estimated 420,000-tonne wheat production capacity. Beyond these statistics lies an even more harrowing human toll. On January 12, 2025, at least 40 farmers and fishermen were massacred at Dumba in Borno. Four years prior, on November 28, 2020, at least 43 rice farmers were slaughtered at Koshobe, near Zabarmari in Jere LGA, while harvesting their crops. What farmer, after witnessing such atrocities, would confidently return to the farm?

The consequence is a detrimental cycle: insecurity curtails cultivation, restricts food supply, and drives up market prices. Elevated food prices exacerbate poverty and vulnerability, leaving Nigeria increasingly reliant on foreign food markets. In 2025 alone, Nigeria expended N7.65 trillion on food and beverage imports, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics. This situation is particularly ironic for a nation endowed with approximately 37 million hectares of arable land, the largest expanse in Africa. Nigeria also possesses a vast labor force and one of the world’s largest youth populations, yet it remains heavily dependent on imported food.

In 2021, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group cautioned that the number of food-insecure Nigerians had swelled from around 25 million to 50 million due to insecurity, a figure likely more alarming today. In the first quarter of 2026, crop production contributed about N8.9 trillion, accounting for 66.76 percent of agriculture’s nominal value. However, persistent security challenges continue to prevent Nigeria from maximizing its agricultural potential. Therefore, any serious discussion about food security must be accompanied by an equally serious commitment to national security.

The Federal Government must take decisive action to reclaim farming communities from terrorists and bandits. Farmers require adequate protection during both planting and harvesting seasons. Essential rural infrastructure, such as roads and storage facilities, must be developed, while markets and other agricultural assets must be secured. While crushing terrorist and bandit groups, especially in the North, remains paramount, southern states, which are relatively less exposed to these threats, must also significantly boost their food production. Why should states like Delta, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ogun not expand the cultivation of yam, cassava, maize, vegetables, and other staples within their territories? Why should Lagos not establish robust commercial livestock and dairy initiatives, including modern ranching, to ensure reliable supplies of nutritious beef and milk for Nigerians?

More fundamentally, what tangible actions are state governors taking to address food production? Distributing seedlings and delivering speeches on food security are insufficient. Governors must pinpoint available land, attract serious agricultural investors, secure farming communities, and support irrigation and mechanization efforts. They should also establish measurable production targets for their respective states and hold their administrations accountable for achieving these goals. Nigeria cannot permit terrorists operating in certain northern regions to hold over 237 million people hostage. The experience of Ukraine offers a valuable lesson: despite a devastating war, agriculture has remained a strategic national priority. Ukrainian farmers continue to produce and export grain amidst attacks, damaged infrastructure, and extraordinary logistical hurdles. In 2024, Ukraine even managed to increase its grain and oilseed exports during the ongoing conflict. Nigeria must demonstrate a similar resolve.