Nigeria’s agricultural import bill skyrocketed to ₦2.22 trillion in the first half of 2025, igniting a storm of criticism from farmers, rice millers, and agribusiness leaders. They warn that Federal Government policies—especially a recent presidential order to “crash” food prices—are deepening market distortions and threatening long-term food security.
Farmers Reject “Crash Food Prices” Directive
President Bola Tinubu recently directed a Federal Executive Council committee to force down food prices nationwide. Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Sabi Abdullahi confirmed the order in Abuja, pledging to guarantee safe passage for food commodities across transport routes to cut costs.
But farmers say edicts can’t override market realities.
“Transport relief helps, but it’s not enough,” said Kabir Ibrahim, President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN). “Prices are already too low for farmers to recover fertiliser costs. Massive imports have battered local producers.”
Rice Millers Warn of Investment Flight
Peter Dama, head of the Competitive African Rice Forum, called the directive “unworkable,” urging stakeholder engagement and subsidies instead.
“You can’t simply command private operators to slash prices,” he told reporters. “Without input support and dialogue, farmers will abandon their fields.”
Imports Soar After Duty-Free Window
National Bureau of Statistics data show agric-import spending jumped 32.6 % year-on-year, from ₦893 billion in Q2 2024 to ₦1.18 trillion in Q2 2025. Analysts tie the surge to a 180-day duty-free window introduced in mid-2024 that allowed millers to import staples like maize, rice, wheat, and millet tax-free.
The policy aimed to tame inflation but instead flooded markets and crushed farm-gate prices. Maize, once ₦60,000 per tonne, now sells near ₦30,000—well below production cost.
Mechanisation Delay Frustrates Farmers
Adding to tensions, the government’s much-touted rollout of 2,000 tractors, launched in July 2024, remains stalled. Farmers say no clear distribution plan exists, while an Agriculture Ministry official confirmed presidential approval is still pending.
Weak Purchasing Power Undercuts Demand
Even as some food prices dip, consumer demand stays sluggish.
“The real crisis is the naira’s weak purchasing power,” Ibrahim stressed. “People simply don’t have money to buy food.”
Stakeholders Call for Structural Fixes
Small-scale farmers highlight soaring fertiliser and herbicide costs, expired subsidised inputs, and grain hoarding as additional drags on supply. Women farmers warn that without urgent subsidies and infrastructure support, many will quit production altogether.
Experts agree piecemeal fixes—price directives, import waivers, or delayed mechanisation—won’t secure Nigeria’s food future. Until the government invests in local production, strengthens purchasing power, and meaningfully engages stakeholders, reliance on imports will keep rising—leaving both farmers and consumers exposed.
