Regardless of Nigeria’s huge arable land and standing as a largely agrarian nation, the nation’s agricultural potential stays stunted by rising insecurity and power underinvestment in rural infrastructure, specialists have stated.
In accordance with Diana Tenebe, Chief Working Officer at Foodstuff Retailer, the mixed impact of violence in farming communities and the absence of vital facilities in rural areas poses a big threat to nationwide meals safety and {economic} stability.
“Addressing these twin points isn’t just an {economic} necessity—it’s a matter of nationwide survival,” Tenebe famous in an announcement.
Benue: Nigeria’s Meals Basket Below Siege
Benue State, lengthy celebrated because the “Meals Basket of the Nation,” has change into a tragic image of the disaster. In June 2025, violent assaults in Yelewata, a farming settlement, claimed the lives of dozens, with some stories putting the loss of life toll at over 100. The assaults pressured residents to flee, leaving farmlands and livelihoods in ruins.
The Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) reported over 500,000 internally displaced individuals (IDPs) in Benue as of 2024—a determine that continues to develop amid persistent violence.
Tenebe cited analysis displaying that each 1% enhance in insecurity results in a 0.211% drop in crop output and a 0.311% decline in livestock production within the state. Benue produces over half of Nigeria’s yams and is a serious supply of cassava, rice, and soybeans. Disruption to those provide chains is already fueling meals inflation and deepening starvation nationwide.
“Farms are deserted, storage amenities destroyed, and market entry minimize off,” she defined. “The {economic} losses are immense, however the human price is even higher.”
A Damaged Rural Spine
Whereas insecurity grabs headlines, Nigeria’s neglect of rural infrastructure is equally damaging to agricultural productiveness.
Poor street networks depart farmers stranded throughout harvest season, resulting in post-harvest losses estimated at 40% yearly. An absence of irrigation methods limits farming to the wet season, whereas erratic electrical energy provide prevents correct storage and agro-processing.
Tenebe warned that with out entry to energy, water, roads, and trendy instruments, smallholder farmers; who produce 90% of Nigeria’s meals stay locked in subsistence cycles, unable to scale or compete.
“Even when safety have been restored tomorrow, we’d nonetheless face huge structural challenges,” she stated.
Safety and Infrastructure: A Symbiotic Resolution
Specialists consider that resolving Nigeria’s agricultural disaster requires a coordinated nationwide technique that addresses each safety and infrastructure concurrently.
“Secured environments allow infrastructure tasks to flourish, whereas good roads and connectivity permit quicker navy response in risky areas,” Tenebe noticed.
She referred to as for huge funding in feeder roads, rural electrification by means of grid and off-grid options, and trendy irrigation methods that scale back dependence on rainfall. She additionally advocated for chilly storage amenities and rural agro-processing facilities to reduce waste and enhance worth addition.
Help for Displaced Farmers and Coverage Reform Urged
Tenebe urged the federal government to prioritize help for displaced farming communities, significantly in states like Benue. “Seedlings, fertilizers, money help, and psychosocial help are vital to serving to farmers return to their land,” she stated.
She additionally highlighted the significance of coverage implementation, pointing to present agricultural blueprints which are poorly executed resulting from lack of political will.
“From land reform to entry to credit score and extension providers, Nigeria already has the insurance policies—it simply wants the resolve to implement them,” she stated.
A Name for Urgency
Regardless of its untapped promise, Nigeria’s agricultural sector faces a pivotal second. Till the basis causes of insecurity and infrastructural decay are addressed, the nation will proceed to depend on meals imports whereas hundreds of thousands go hungry.
“Nigeria’s path to prosperity begins with peace and funding within the individuals who feed it,” Tenebe concluded. “Benue’s tragedy is a wake-up name we will not afford to disregard.”