Nigeria is sitting on some of the most fertile land in Africa—yet millions of citizens can’t afford basic food. Why?
Because the people who grow the food are being driven off the land by insecurity.
From Benue to Kaduna and Zamfara to Plateau, farmers now say farming is no longer a profession. It is a life-risking activity.
“You plant today… you’re not sure you’ll live till harvest.”
This is not an exaggeration. It’s Nigeria’s new reality.
🌾 Farmer Kidnappings: The Silent War Keeping Food Out of Your Kitchen
Farmers are kidnapped on their own farms. Bandits demand “farming access fees. ”Villagers flee before harvest. Entire communities now abandon fertile land because survival comes first. What used to be peaceful open farmland is now a hunting ground. And when farmers flee, food disappears.
🍅 Why Food Prices Are Exploding — The Real Truth Nobody Wants to Admit
Nigeria is not experiencing “normal inflation.” This is insecurity inflation.
Every attack adds a new cost:
- 🔥 Burnt farms = lost investment
- 💀 Killed or kidnapped farmers = fewer hands to plant
- 🚫 Abandoned farmland = reduced food supply
- 🛣️ Unsafe rural roads = high transport costs
- 📦 Scarcity in the market = skyrocketing price
This is why tomatoes feel like gold and why yams are now a luxury. Why is pepper unaffordable? Why does garri—once the “food of survival”—now cost like a delicacy? The streets are shouting. The prices are screaming, but the farms are empty.
🚨 “We Want to Farm, But We Want to Live” — Farmers Speak Out
A rice farmer in Niger State said:
“Out of 20 farmers in my village, only 7 are still farming this year.”
A maize farmer in Kaduna said:
“It’s not the soil that is failing us… it’s the bullets.”
A yam farmer in Benue said:
“We plant fear before we plant crops.”
These voices are not trending on social media. But they are shaping the future of Nigeria’s food supply.
🌍 The Ripple Effect: Hunger, Inflation, and a Weakening Naira
When farmers can’t farm, the entire economy suffers:
- Food inflation becomes uncontrollable
- The naira weakens because we import more food
- Companies relying on crops shut down
- Unemployment rises
- Hunger spreads
Nigeria’s food crisis is not caused by rain or soil. It is caused by fear.
💡 What Nigerians Are Demanding Right Now
If food prices must drop, farmers must be protected.
Nigerians are asking for:
- Security task forces assigned to major farming zones
- Drone surveillance for large farmlands
- Rural patrol units trained for farm protection
- Safe roads for transporting produce
- Reclaiming abandoned farmlands
- Compensation for attacked communities
Nigeria cannot eat if it cannot secure the hands that feed it.
🔥 The Hard Truth Nigeria Must Face
Every time a farmer is killed, Every time land is abandoned, Every time a village flees,
Nigeria’s food future dies a little more.
Insecurity is not just a threat to lives. It is a threat to markets, kitchens, and every Nigerian plate.
Until the nation protects its farmers, food will remain expensive, hunger will grow, and the agricultural sector will continue to collapse.
Because the truth is simple:
When farmers can’t farm, a country can’t survive.
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