By Chinyere Anyanwu
Amid worsening hunger in Nigeria accentuated by growing terrorism and other man-made factors, stakeholders in the agricultural and economic sectors have reasserted that food availability remains a key national security backbone and a fulcrum to bolster socio-economic stability and prosperity.
Their position was condensed at the Vanguard Economic Discourse held recently in Lagos, where they advised various government agencies to pool potent strategies that will tackle challenges stacked against higher agric productivity.
At the event organised by Vanguard Newspapers as part of its contributions to the solutions of the nation’s food crisis, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria and to the ECOWAS region, Hussein Gadain, among other stakeholders, said all hands must be on deck to turn things around.
Gadain, in his keynote address at the event themed; “Food Security and Socioeconomic Stability: Options for Nigeria’s Agriculture Sector Rebound”, said: “food security remains central to Nigeria’s development challenge and is one of the most pressing imperatives of our time. It is the foundation of stability and prosperity.
“Food security is far more than an agricultural outcome; it is a pillar of national security, macroeconomic stability, social cohesion, and peace.”
Commending Vanguard Newspapers for the bold initiative, Gadain said the gathering provided participants with an important opportunity to examine the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Gadain stated that, “Nigeria’s fragile food systems – affected by conflict, climate shocks, and economic pressures, translate into household vulnerability, deepening poverty rising social tensions, and inflationary pressures in the economy.”
According to him, “Nigeria’s population continues to grow at an average annual rate of about 2.1 per cent, meaning that food demand, employment needs, and pressure on natural resources will continue to rise.
“This is why the rebound of the agriculture sector is not simply a sectoral ambition; it is a national economic and social imperative.”
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS said despite Nigeria’s enormous agricultural potential, structural constraints continue to hinder development and needs to be given special attention.
Gadain noted that more than 80 per cent of Nigeria’s farmers are smallholders who account for about 90 per cent of agricultural production, adding that, “any meaningful rebound must be designed to work for smallholders, women and men, through improved productivity, risk management, inclusive markets, and strong rural services.”
He said to drive food security and reinforce the country’s socioeconomic stability, Nigeria must work on boosting productivity through sustainable and climate-smart agriculture; strengthening value chains and reducing post-harvest losses; and expanding inclusive rural finance and risk management.
Others include advancing trade and development competitiveness for high value cash crops, and restoring peace, mobility and natural resource governance.
For the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, who was represented by Maruf Ajenifuja, the Technical Assistant on Partnerships and Collaborations to the Minister, food security is the foundation upon which socio-economic stability of the country is built.
Kyari said, “today, agriculture contributes 20 to 24 per cent to the national GDP and also employs over 60 to 70 per cent of the labour force, making it a single, powerful sector that encourages positive growth and poverty reduction. Yet, the sector faces some structural challenges, ranging from climate shocks, financing gaps, infrastructure deficits, as well as rising food costs.
“This has affected the functioning of food security in terms of availability, accessibility, affordability, and stability.”
He, however, noted that “the sector is on the path of recovery and we can clearly see the evidence of progress. That’s why this declaration is, Nigeria’s agricultural sector is rebounding, and the data is absolutely verified to us. Today, food prices have dropped up to 15 per cent, and for the first time in the last decade, in January this year, food inflation dropped below 10 per cent to 8.98 per cent year-on-year.”
The minister stated that, “the federal government has supported agriculture with over 2 million pounds of fertilisers to over 1 million farmers, thereby boosting soil fertility and increasing the yield. You will all agree with me that these are not just calculated gains. They are indicators of a system gradually stabilising and repositioning itself.”
Kyari noted that the ministry is making concerted efforts to catalyse the economy through some of its activities, including building up access and accountability by expanding the top-level and other input support systems.
“When you support this form of e-commerce, and when input is being supported, the cost of production will go down, the yield will increase, and food inflation will also come down; then the economy will revert to better limits.
“As the sector moves from recovery to resilience, it is not about how long till we get a result, but how fast we will achieve better food security,” Kyari said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said the summit which is focused on food security and socio-economic stability afforded participants the opportunity of looking at options for Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Maiha said, “the theme is food safety reflecting the reality that food security has become one of the most critical determinants of national stability, economic resilience, and social progression.”
He said, “the issue before us is clear. That is, how do we reposition Nigeria’s agricultural sector to not only feed our population, but also to stabilise our economy and unlock its potential.”
He said according to estimates from FDL World Bank, over 25 million Nigerians are still at risk of food insecurity while a significant percentage of the population has been affected by eroding purchasing power and deepening poverty.
“Food security is not only about production. It is also about access, affordability, and stability. When food prices rise sharply, the consequences exceed the broader economy. Rising food inflation contributes directly to poverty, towards social discontent, and can exacerbate insecurity in our economy. This is why food security must be treated not just as an agricultural priority, but as a pillar of national security and social and economic stability.”
Proffering solutions to the challenge of food insecurity, the Livestock minister urged that “Nigeria must promote blended finance models, agricultural insurance, credit guarantees, and private sector investment platforms as well as ensure security in farming communities. Farmers and pastoralists cannot operate effectively in insecure environments.”
Maiha stressed the need for Nigeria to leverage technology and innovation to bring digital and technological solutions which can transform agriculture through precision farming.
“We also need to look at public-private partnerships as an engine of growth in agricultural development. The scale of transformation required cannot be driven by the government alone. If we want to rely on budgetary allocations, it’s going to be very difficult to transform the agricultural system. One of the models we are pushing is large-scale investment in agriculture and in the private sector.”
He further pointed out that “Nigeria stands at a critical juncture with a population projected to exceed 250 million by 2030. Demand for food will definitely rise. This presents a unique opportunity; if we act decisively, agriculture can become a driver of economic diversification, a source of mass employment, a foundation for industrial growth and a guarantor of national security. Failure to act will result in rising hunger, deep poverty, and increased social instability.”
He, therefore, called on all stakeholders to commit to the shared vision of food security, economically stable and prosperous Nigeria.
Speaking in his welcome address, the Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba, said theme of this year’s discourse, “Food Security and Socioeconomic Stability, Options for Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector Rebound,” reflects the organisation’s focus which is “looking beyond the numbers to confront a more fundamental reality, the question of food.”
Anaba noted that “agriculture remains Nigeria’s largest empire, yet low productivity, limited access to quality inputs, climate shocks and weak market demand continue to constrain its food potential.
“As a result, many smallholder farmers remain at subsistence level, while food and nutrition insecurity persist across the country. We expect this discourse to integrate practical solutions ranging from improved aggregation and cross-border systems to agro-processing and expanding market access across key value chains. There is also a clear need to strengthen agricultural research and extension services, expand access to improved and climate-resilient seeds, and accelerate deployment of international commercial farmers’ industries.”
Anaba stressed the importance of deploying digital diversity tools, including globalised climate and weather intelligence, to support farmers’ productivity and resilience.
He added that “reforming seed and complex aggregation, expansion of next-generation seed systems, and stronger private-sector participation in yielding a new supply will be critical. We must also ensure transparency in farmland investments, and launch a stronger coalition monitoring and citizen engagement framework, particularly to support inclusion of women and youth.”
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