The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • ‘Farmers lost N5trillion to poor weather forecasts’

    ‘Farmers lost N5trillion to poor weather forecasts’

    The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) hinted that Nigerian farmers lost about N5 trillion productive capital between 2024 and 2025 to poor and misleading weather forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as well as policy-induced crashes.

    It declared that Nigeria’s agriculture sector is in a deep structural crisis.

    In a statement, the group’s Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat described the losses as direct agricultural capital destruction at the producer level, stressing that the estimate does not include secondary economic effects such as consumer inflation, GDP contraction, foreign exchange pressure, or security related costs.

     “Those impacts come later. What has already happened is the liquidation of farmer capital,” PeacePro said.

    He added that Nigeria did not successfully “control food prices between 202 and 2025. Instead, a combination of poorly timed policy interventions, price suppression mechanisms, weak market coordination, and unreliable weather forecasting by NiMet forced farmers to sell produce below cost, wiping out the capital required to sustain future production cycles.”

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     “This was not a market correction. It was a policy shock that transferred value away from producers.

    The statement said that while Nigeria has an estimated of between 38 and 40 million people engaged in agriculture, clarifying that the most severe damage was concentrated among market facing producers, not subsistence farmers.

    It added that “although subsistence farmers were also adversely affected, particularly by poor and misleading weather forecasts issued by NiMet.

    “The most affected group includes 6–8 million producers, small and medium scale commercial farmers, storage poor price taking producers, farmers engaged in grains, tubers, vegetables, and legumes.

    The group maintained that the scale of destruction is comparable to a financial sector collapse, with one critical difference.

     “This crisis did not happen in banks or stock markets.

    It happened quietly, in farms and rural communities, cautioning that depleted farmer capital will inevitably lead to reduced planting in 2026, lower domestic food supply, higher future food prices, increased rural poverty and social instability, the statement added.

    PeacePro therefore urged Nigerian authorities to publicly acknowledge the scale of agricultural capital destruction and immediately shift policy away from short term price suppression toward producer protection, capital preservation, and market stability.

  • Ondo farmers, indigenes cry out over land grabbing

    Ondo farmers, indigenes cry out over land grabbing

    Aggrieved farmers and indigenes of communities in Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo State have appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene in a lingering land crisis threatening peace and livelihood in their domain.

    The residents, drawn from about 10 communities in the council, alleged that their farmlands were being forcefully taken over by individuals suspected to be “land grabbers” without due process or government approval.

    The protesters, who stormed the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Akure yesterday, displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Killer Gang! Land Grabbers, Criminals Not King,”; “Our Able Governor! Curb Tenants/Land Grabbers’ Excesses,”; “Rented Crowd Can’t Undo Family Inheritance With Verified Court Judgments,” among several others.

    Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr Idowu Akinmoladun said several court cases on the disputed land had been decided in favour of the Ajisafe family.

    He alleged that a prominent politician and former federal lawmaker in the area, Joseph Akinlaja, was allegedly backing the land grabbers.

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    “We are here to appeal to Governor Aiyedatiwa to investigate this matter. They have stained the name of the Ajisafe family, but we are not land grabbers.

    “This land in question has four court judgments in our favour. We are law-abiding citizens and only want justice to prevail. We appeal to the governor to allow the Ajisafe family to reclaim their land,” Akinmoladun said.

    Another protester, Mr. Ademola Ajibade, also urged the governor to intervene in the dispute, describing the allegation that one of the family members, Mr. Ojo Ajisafe, was a land grabber as false.

    Ajibade claimed that two individuals parading themselves as traditional rulers – the Olu of Igba, Oba Sina Olayele, and the Olu of Uloko Agboden, HRH Moses Awonusi Apalara – were self-acclaimed and no longer recognised leaders.

    He said the duo, who were recently arrested and charged to court, allegedly attacked a farmer with a broken bottle over land dispute.

    He presented a letter from the Ondo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, dated June 27, 2023, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Bolani Obideyi, which directed that no further appointment or installation of minor chiefs should be made in the area, to avoid a breach of peace.

    The letter titled: “Alleged Installation of Olus by the Yangede of Epe”, was addressed to the Chairman of Ondo East Local Government and read in part: “I am directed to inform you that the circular of the state government stands. Therefore, you are to please inform His Highness, the Yangede of Epe, to stop any further appointment and installation of minor chiefs within Ondo East Local Government, so as not to cause any breach of peace in Ondo Kingdom.”

    The protesters, however, presented Chief Olu Faloye, the Baale of Agbondin, as the authentic traditional ruler of the community.

    They displayed a certificate issued by the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom confirming his appointment and installation.

  • Bumper harvests: Why Nigerian farmers are not smiling

    Bumper harvests: Why Nigerian farmers are not smiling

    • By Lawal Dahiru Mamman

    Sir: Nigeria has always been an interesting case study. Over the last two years, citizens have lived through austerity. Government officials, whenever handed the microphone, have often likened the experience to that of a child who must first endure the prick of a needle before receiving the protection of a vaccine.

    At the macro level, things appear to be taking shape. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently reported the highest Net Foreign Exchange Reserve (NFER) in over three years. According to the April report, the figure marked an increase from $3.99 billion at the end of 2023, to $8.19 billion in 2022, and $14.59 billion in 2021.

    Analysts say this reflects a substantial improvement in the country’s external liquidity, reduced short-term obligations, and renewed investor confidence. The naira, which had been on a steep downward path toward N2,000, has rebounded to around N1,400—its strongest level in months—as it rallies against the dollar in both official and parallel markets.

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    It is on track to end the year on a firm note, buoyed by the growing forex reserves. Additionally, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate dropped to 18.02 percent in September, while also announcing an increase in its Consumer Price Index (CPI)—a measure of the change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services.

    The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has also recorded a growth rate of 3.13 percent, particularly following the rebasing exercise. Despite these improvements, the common argument remains that such progress has not truly trickled down to the micro level.

    Most recently, however, food prices in markets across the country have begun to decline—particularly for rice, a staple that holds a special place in Nigerian households. While consumers have welcomed the news with relief, there is a flipside: farmers are crying out.

    In truth, while lower prices delight the markets, they have left many farmers struggling to recover their investments. The government attributes the decline to increased local production through its interventions. Although the federal government opened a window for zero-duty importation of food items, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, insists that the fall in prices is due to large-scale agricultural investments under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS) Agro-Pocket programme.

    Farmers, however, tell a different story. They argue that the massive importation of food items has crashed local prices and left them counting heavy losses. This is why, as a nation, we must proceed with caution. In reality, low prices can discourage cultivation—especially in a period of high input costs—threatening future harvests and deepening food insecurity.

    There must be balance between food security, farmers’ prosperity, and government intervention. Farmers should be supported through affordable credit, agricultural extension services, and guaranteed market access. The distribution of fertiliser to smallholders and the deployment of new tractors to Agricultural Mechanisation Service Centres will further help to reduce production costs and increase efficiency.

    The current situation presents a clear dilemma. While lower prices may bring short-term relief to consumers, prolonged losses could cripple agricultural productivity and strengthen dependence on imports—placing Nigeria’s food future at risk.

    In all that we do, we must choose our approach carefully. Do we import food items to slash prices and win temporary public approval, if indeed such imports are genuine? Or do we double down on domestic production to achieve true self-sufficiency—especially in crops we can grow ourselves?

    We must choose our pill carefully. Agriculture was once abandoned for oil, and we paid dearly for importing refined products while neglecting local refineries. Now that there is renewed interest in cultivation, we must not repeat the same mistake.

    •Lawal Dahiru Mamman,

    Abuja.

  • Oyo, Lagos farmers train

    Oyo, Lagos farmers train

    Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Kakehashi Africa Nigeria Initiative (KANI) have partnered Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) to train farmers and extension agents from Oyo and Lagos states in aquaponics technology.

    The event, held in Ibadan, focused on design, installation, operation and maintenance of aquaponics systems, equipping participants with practical knowledge to improve productivity, reduce water waste and expand agribusiness opportunities.

    A Senior Programme Officer at JICA, Nigeria office, Dr. Umar Alilu, said the initiative formed part of JICA’s commitment towards promoting knowledge exchange and food security in Nigeria through technology transfer.

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    He said: “The idea is to build capacity of farmers with new technology known as aquaponics. Through this collaboration, we are training farmers and extension agents to combine fish and vegetable production in one system.”

    Mrs. Folashade Jegede, who represented the Director-General of OYSADA, reaffirmed Oyo State’s vision to become a leading agribusiness hub in West Africa.

    She highlighted the agency’s commitment to youth empowerment and agricultural innovation.

    Jegede said: “The objective of OYSADA is to transform Oyo State into a major agribusiness hub. We have implemented several empowerment programmes, sponsored youths for training in Nasarawa State and disbursed funds to support agribusiness start-ups.”

    The President of KANI, Dr. Bolu Sarumoh, described the training as a reflection of the group’s mission to build a bridge between Japan and Nigeria, focusing on skills, innovation and youth empowerment.

    Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems in Lagos State, Mrs. Abisola Olusanya, represented by the deputy director at the ministry, Akeem Olajobi, praised the initiative for fostering interstate collaboration in modern agriculture.

  • ‘Cheap food imports crippling small farmers’

    ‘Cheap food imports crippling small farmers’

    Africa’s growing dependence on imported staple foods is crippling smallholder farmers and undermining domestic agriculture in countries such as Nigeria and Morocco, a leading agricultural economist has warned. Rachid Doukkali, Professor of Applied Economics at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), said the continent’s swelling food import bills are eroding farm profitability and exposing millions of rural households to deeper poverty.

    Responding to emailed questions from The Nation on Africa’s food situation, Doukkali noted that although the continent maintains a relatively balanced trade in agri-food products, its “Achilles’ heel” remains an ever-widening gap in cereal supply.

    “Generally, when we talk about food deficit in Africa, we are only referring to the deficit in cereals and not to other agri-food products, which are generally in surplus. This cereal imbalance stems from a race between production and consumption.”

    “Despite a high average annual growth rate in cereal production of 2.7 per cent between 2003 and 2023, this was insufficient to keep pace with a 2.9 per cent rise in consumption, driven by both a strong population surge and the effects of urbanisation,” he said.

    He explained that the consequences are most severe in net staple-importing nations such as Nigeria and Morocco, where governments feel pressured to keep food prices artificially low to avoid social unrest. “Because staple foods constitute a very high proportion of the expenditure for the majority of less well-off households, governments in these countries face immense pressure to keep domestic prices low,” he said.

    According to Doukkali, the pressure has pushed policymakers toward large-scale importation — often at subsidised global prices — with devastating consequences for local producers. “Given that the large majority of small producers are specialised in the production of these staple foods, they are indirectly taxed (or indirectly disadvantaged) by these low prices,Ultimately, states in developing countries, particularly in Africa, make their small farmers pay indirectly for low price policies to urban consumers of these staple products,” he noted. “

    The result, he warned, is declining profitability, weak competitiveness, and stagnating productivity among smallholder farms — the backbone of Africa’s food system.

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    Doukkali also issued a stark warning on climate change, calling it “an existential threat” to African agriculture. He said both rain-fed farms and capital-intensive irrigation systems now face significant risks. “Any lack of irrigation water can severely affect the profitability of investments,” he cautioned.

    To secure the continent’s food future, the professor urged African governments and development agencies to rethink their technology and extension models. While improved seeds and precision techniques exist, he said their impact remains muted because they are introduced without considering the financial and social realities of smallholders. “The first thing to do is to try to understand farms as systems.What is technically efficient is not necessarily socially or economically efficient for the small producer,” he argued.

    On the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Doukkali said the agreement holds “the most powerful potential to reduce reliance on extra-continental food imports. Currently, intra-African food trade represents less than 20 per cent of total agri-food trade, but the AfCFTA promises significant change.” However, he warned that the road will be long, citing hurdles in logistics, standards, governance, and rules of origin.

    The professor contrasted Morocco’s thriving export-oriented agribusiness sector with the struggles of its 1.4 million smallholder farmers, who suffer post-harvest losses of up to 30 per cent due to weak infrastructure. He praised Morocco’s investments in cooperatives and its Green Morocco Plan and Green Generation Strategy, which offer 100 per cent subsidies for collective equipment, aggregation projects, and small-producer export programmes.

    He stressed that Africa — Morocco and Nigeria included — must ring-fence minimum cereal self-sufficiency to withstand future shocks. “A minimum of domestic production must be ensured to guarantee the country’s food security,” he insisted, pointing to recent global crises as a warning.

  • Why our farmers are still losing the harvest war

    Why our farmers are still losing the harvest war

    Sir: Go to any rural community, any farm gate, any market in our country, and you’ll find the same thick, suffocating reality: the dusty disappointment of our farmers. This is not just the dust of the field; it is the sediment of shattered hopes, broken promises, and economic injustice. This pervasive sense of loss is a silent, creeping national crisis that demands immediate government interest and urgent action.

    The core tragedy facing our farmers is a vicious, unyielding paradox. We see two economic forces colliding, and our producers are always on the receiving end: Agricultural inputs keep rising bad; the costs for essential items—fertilizer, high-yield seeds, quality pesticides, and fuel for tractors—are skyrocketing. These are non-negotiable expenses. Farmers are forced to take on greater debt just to begin the planting season.

    Yet, when the harvest finally arrives, the market collapses. Prices are driven down by an “uncalled factor”—a chaotic, unregulated, and often exploitative market structure.

    Farmers, having invested their all, are then compelled to sell at rock-bottom prices during the harvesting season. They prioritize immediate cash flow to service urgent debts, rather than storing their produce to attract higher, fairer prices later. This necessity is the address service they provide to the public—the immediate flood of cheap food—but it is also their undoing.

    From the villages of   Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, to the produce fields of Kaduna, the story is consistent.

    The real profit is not made in the fields, but on the margins of the market. Middlemen and bulk marketers capitalize on the farmers’ desperation. They buy cheaply during the harvest glut, store the produce until the off-season, and sell it to consumers at exorbitant rates, pocketing a massive profit margin for simply waiting. The farmer—the one who toiled under the sun—gains nothing but a meagre subsistence.

    This endless cycle of exploitation is eroding the passion and resilience needed for farming. Why would the youth embrace a sector where effort is penalized and risk is not rewarded? The national food security is jeopardized when farming becomes synonymous with poverty and disappointment.

    The government has a moral and economic imperative to intervene. The current “laissez-faire” approach has failed our primary producers.

    What the government could have done is establish a Guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP). This will ensure floor price for key staple crops, ensuring that no farmer is forced to sell below the cost of production, regardless of market fluctuations.

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    Secondly, it can build, subsidize, and maintain community-level cold storage and silos. This crucial infrastructure would empower farmers’ cooperatives to store their harvest, enabling them to control the supply chain and negotiate better prices later in the year, breaking the marketer’s monopoly.

    Third, it can intervene decisively to stabilize the prices of imported fertilizers and essential chemicals. Subsidies must be transparent and reach the actual smallholder farmer, not just large corporations.

    Fourth, revitalize local extension services to educate farmers on modern storage techniques, commodity trading, and cooperative management.

    The time for talking is over. The government must immediately embark on these steps: Empower farmer cooperatives. Provide direct financial and legal support to establish strong, democratized farmer cooperatives that can collectively negotiate prices, manage storage, and access credit.

    Create an accessible, low-interest market intervention fund that provides farmers with the temporary capital needed post-harvest, allowing them to delay selling until prices improve. Launch a campaign to show consumers where their food money actually goes, encouraging a direct link between urban buyers and rural producers to cut out exploitative middlemen.

    Until we lift the crushing weight of this paradox—high costs for inputs and devastatingly low prices for output—the dust of disappointment will continue to settle over our most vital industry. The health of our economy, the security of our food supply, and the promise of our future all depend on recognizing that protecting the farmer is protecting the nation.

    It is time to make farming profitable, respectable, and sustainable.

    •Michael Adedotun Oke, Garki Abuja.

  • Fed Govt launches farmers soil health scheme

    Fed Govt launches farmers soil health scheme

    The Federal Government on Tuesday launched the Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS), a transformative initiative designed to enhance soil fertility, improve crop yields, and drive sustainable food production across the country.

    The scheme, launched under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was unveiled by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi (CON) in Abuja.

    According to the minister, the NFSHS is an “innovative, homegrown initiative” aimed at tackling the challenges of low agricultural productivity and the high cost of production caused by indiscriminate fertilizer use.

    “Farming begins with the soil; it is the quiet partner in every harvest, the hidden force behind every good crop. But for many years, our soils have been working without rest, giving and giving, while we hardly checked how they were doing,” Sen. Sabi said.

    “The Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme is here to help farmers understand their soil better what nutrients it has, what it lacks, and how to treat it right. It takes away the guesswork and gives farmers simple, useful advice to grow more, spend less, and care for the land.”

    The minister explained that the NFSHS represents a major step in advancing scientific soil assessment and data-driven fertilizer application across Nigeria. By promoting crop- and location-specific fertilizer recommendations, the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s goal of ensuring food sovereignty and revolutionising agriculture for sustainable growth.

    Among the key deliverables of the scheme are the establishment of 774 soil testing laboratories across local government areas, issuance of personalized soil health cards for farmers, and the development of a digital platform the Nigeria Soil Information System (NiSIS) to consolidate soil data for evidence-based decision-making.

    Speaking further, he said the NFSHS seeks to: improve soil health and fertility through targeted fertilizer application; increase agricultural productivity and food security; and promote climate-resilient and regenerative farming practices.

    Expected benefits include optimised fertiliser use, higher yields, increased farmers’ income, environmental sustainability, and job creation particularly for youth and women engaged in rural laboratory operations.

    “By optimising fertilizer use, we minimize waste, prevent groundwater pollution, and enhance the safety of food for local consumption and export,” the minister added.

    He added that implementation of the scheme follows a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, ensuring collaboration across all levels of government. 

    The scheme’s structure includes a National Executive Committee, State and Local Committees, and partnerships with research bodies, development partners, and farmer organizations.

    Development partners supporting the initiative include the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), World Bank’s ACReSAL project, Soil Values, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

    The minister highlighted the major milestones achieved so far from the inclusion of the NFSHS in the 2024 federal budget and stakeholder workshops to the creation of the Coalition of the Willing (CoW) platform and pilot soil assessments across eleven states.

    He however emphasised that the scheme’s precision-based approach will revolutionize yields for key crops.

    “The results will speak for themselves. A farmer who currently harvests 60 to 80 bags of rice per hectare will now harvest 120 to 160 bags. Wheat and maize farmers will see their yields double, and onion farmers will go from 400 to 800 bags per hectare,” he said.

    He added that the government is targeting the collection of at least 1,200 soil samples per geopolitical zone annually, ensuring data accuracy and tailored recommendations for every region.

    The minister reaffirmed that Nigeria, through this initiative, is already implementing the Nairobi Declaration on Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health, adopted by African Heads of State in May 2024.

    “Healthy soils are the foundation of agricultural resilience,” he said. “By embracing the Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme, our farmers can finally double their yields, strengthen food sovereignty, and ensure a prosperous, food-secure future for Nigeria.”

  • Herders proffer solutions to crisis with farmers

    Herders proffer solutions to crisis with farmers

    National President of Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN), Hon Khalil Mohd Bello has proffered solutions to the lingering crisis between farmers and herders.

    Hon Khalil spoke at the National Conference on the Farmers-Herders Conflict History organized By Lje Nigeria at Yar’ Adua Center, Abuja.

    Addressing the participants, he said: “Based on our research, the painful conflict between farmers and herders can be brought to an end if we reclaim and revitalize.  Northern governors must face reality by reclaiming all reclaimable grazing reserves. If the governments of the Northern states do this and provide animal feeds and water points, our pastoralists will be able to stay in one place instead of moving to Benue, Plateau, and Southern states in their thousands and millions, which inevitably leads to conflict.

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    “Another is for us to restore blocked cattle routes.  Northern governors must reclaim all blocked cattle routes that were blocked for farming expansion and not for development projects. We are optimistic that this will provide herders with the opportunity to move freely between grazing reserves without entering anyone’s farm, which will prevent fighting between the two inseparable brothers.

     Hon Khalil also listed enforcement of accountability and justice as another solution, adding: “Pastoralists must stop destroying people’s farms and must compensate farmers for any accidental destruction. Similarly, farmers must stop encroaching on grazing reserves and blocking cattle routes.

    “We must also promote dialogue and forgiveness. The cycle of violence must be broken through dialogue. We must apply forgiveness and dialogue to all herders, farmers, and offended Nigerians. The government should also confiscate all guns and weapons from both bandits and vigilante groups.”

    Hon Khalil further recommended that affected communities must be empowered. “Paying ransom to those who have lost their loved ones, livestock, and businesses is crucial to helping them start a new life.

    “The Livestock Productivity & Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development should be encouraged and supported by our government to revive the 417 grazing reserves in the country by providing animal feed, water points, and necessary social amenities to keep herders in one place and end their hardship.”

  • Farmers: New fertiliser policy may trigger price hike

    Farmers: New fertiliser policy may trigger price hike

    The Coalition of Farmers Association of Nigeria (COFAN) and the Himma Youth Farmers Association of Nigeria (HYFAN), have raised concerns that the restructuring of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) by the Federal Government could lead to a sharp increase prices, that could threaten the productivity of smallholder and youth farmers.

    The groups commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his agricultural reforms and programmes aimed at boosting food security, farmer empowerment, and youth inclusion.

    However, they warned that the new direction of the PFI risks undermining the progress achieved earlier.

    “The PFI was a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, ensuring affordable fertilizer through raw material importation and support for local blending plants. Millions of farmers benefitted from this intervention, which strengthened food production and national food security,” Bamai said.

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    The farmers’ associations urged President Tinubu not to abandon the importation of raw materials until local production is capable of meeting national demand.

    They also called for the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to continue managing importation, arguing that this would guarantee efficiency, transparency, and stability in the supply chain.

    “Nigerian farmers cannot afford a disruption in fertilizer supply at this critical moment. We deeply appreciate your reforms, but we appeal: do not kill the legacy of Buhari’s agricultural transformation on fertiliser access.”

    Sustain raw material importation until Nigeria’s local capacity is ready,” Bamai stressed.

    While reaffirming their commitment to work with the government, private sector, and development partners to ensure the success of the restructured PFI, COFAN and HYFAN insisted that protecting farmers in the short term is essential to securing Nigeria’s long-term food security.

  • Farmers: New fertiliser policy may raise price

    Farmers: New fertiliser policy may raise price

    The Coalition of Farmers Association of Nigeria (COFAN) and the Himma Youth Farmers Association of Nigeria (HYFAN) have raised concerns that the restructuring of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) by the Federal Government could lead to a sharp increase in the prices, threatening the productivity of smallholder and youth farmers.

    The groups commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his agricultural reforms and programmes aimed at boosting food security, farmer empowerment, and youth inclusion.

    However, they warned that the new direction of the PFI risks undermining the progress achieved under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

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    “The PFI was a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, ensuring affordable fertilizer through raw material importation and support for local blending plants. Millions of farmers benefitted from this intervention, which strengthened food production and national food security,” Bamai said.

    The farmers’ associations urged President Tinubu not to abandon the importation of raw materials until local production is capable of meeting national demand.

    They also called for the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to continue managing importation, arguing that this would guarantee efficiency, transparency, and stability in the supply chain.

    “Nigerian farmers cannot afford a disruption in fertilizer supply at this critical moment. We deeply appreciate your reforms, but we appeal: do not kill the legacy of Buhari’s agricultural transformation on fertiliser access. Sustain raw material importation until Nigeria’s local capacity is ready,” Bamai stressed.

    While reaffirming their commitment to work with government, private sector, and development partners to ensure success of the restructured PFI, COFAN and HYFAN insisted protecting farmers in the short term is essential to securing long-term food security.