7 Reasons Nigeria Is Not Feeding Itself

Every October 16, the worldwide World Food Day, is marked, with international locations requested how nicely they feed their individuals. This 12 months’s theme is “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.” For Nigeria, the sincere reply is: not nicely sufficient. Many farmers are asking a more durable query, which is whether or not they can afford to plant in any respect. A bag of fertiliser prices greater than twice what a bag of maize sells for, imports are crowding out native produce, and assaults hold farmers away from their land.

Here are seven causes Nigeria remains to be not feeding itself.

1. Imports hold rising. Nigeria imported about 10.1 million tonnes of grain within the 2025/2026 advertising 12 months, together with 6.7 million tonnes of wheat and three.2 million tonnes of rice, in line with the USDA knowledge. The CBN has stated meals imports price $2.34 billion in 2025.

2. The duty-free window damage native farmers. The 2024 waiver on duties for wheat, beans, rice, maize and different grains price the federal government greater than N188 billion in income. Farmers say low cost imports undercut their costs.

3. Rice mills are closing. About 90 of the nation’s greater than 150 rice mills have shut down, in line with the Rice Processors Association. The relaxation run at 30 to 70 per cent of capability.

4. Insecurity retains farmers off their land. Attacks and kidnappings throughout Niger, Kaduna, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Taraba, Benue and Kogi have displaced farmers or blocked entry to their farms.

5. Inputs price greater than the harvest earns. Fertiliser and agrochemical prices have risen by 56 per cent. In Taraba, a bag of NPK fertiliser prices N45,000 to N50,000, whereas a bag of maize sells for N22,000 to N23,000. Some farmers are switching to soybeans and sesame, which may shrink meals crop provide.

6. Hunger is at a ten-year excessive. About 34.7 million Nigerians are projected to face acute meals insecurity throughout the June to August 2026 lean season, up from 27.2 million in late 2025.

7. Aid is shrinking. The World Food Programme may attain solely 72,000 individuals in Nigeria in February, down from 1.3 million within the 2025 lean season.

Though the minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari stated meals costs have fallen by as much as 50 per cent, citing fertiliser distribution, a Guaranteed Price Model and agro-industrial processing zones, farmers and economists are saying cheaper inputs, irrigation, storage, credit score and safety are nonetheless wanted.

Nigeria can develop most of what it eats. Getting there takes cheaper inputs, safer farms and an import coverage that protects native producers.

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