ABUJA – A staggering N2.22 trillion was spent on agricultural imports in the first half of 2025, a new report has revealed, sparking fierce criticism from farmers and industry stakeholders who blame Federal Government policies for crippling local production and failing to address the root causes of food insecurity.
The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows a sharp 22.65% year-on-year increase from the N1.81tn imported in the same period in 2024. This surge is largely attributed to a 180-day duty-free import window introduced by the government in July 2024 to combat food inflation, which ended in December.
The report emerges amidst a controversial directive from President Bola Tinubu, who recently ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to “further crash” the prices of food items by ensuring the safe passage of farm produce across the country.
Agricultural groups have condemned the President’s order as economically unrealistic and detrimental to local farmers. They argue that the massive influx of duty-free imports has created a market glut, crashing prices to a point where local farmers cannot recoup their production costs.
National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabir Ibrahim, stated, “Our farmers are complaining that the prices are so low that they cannot buy fertiliser. The importation has dealt with our farmers.”
He highlighted that the price of maize, for instance, has collapsed from about N60,000 per tonne to N30,000, making farming financially unviable.
Peter Dama, Chairman of the Competitive African Rice Forum, faulted the government’s approach. “The President is dealing with private organisations… You don’t just come out and give an order to crash prices. It doesn’t work that way,” he said, urging for stakeholder engagement and subsidies instead of pronouncements.
Compounding the crisis, stakeholders pointed to significant delays in government support programs. Despite the launch of 2,000 tractors in July 2024 to boost mechanization, not a single one has been distributed to farmers over a year later. An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the distribution modalities are still “awaiting presidential approval.”
While food prices have fallen in some areas, farmers and analysts insist the core issue remains the devastatingly weak purchasing power of the average Nigerian.
“What we are telling the government is that it is the purchasing power of the Naira that is causing problems. Even if food prices fall, people don’t have the money to buy. That’s why you are not seeing any impact,” Kabir Ibrahim explained.
This sentiment was echoed by Chinasa Asonye, National Secretary of the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria, who also raised concerns about the substandard quality of some imported and subsidized goods, which she said have caused more harm than good.
For the average Nigerian, this situation creates a paradoxical and painful reality:
A Glut Without Relief : While there is more food in the country due to imports, the drastic drop in prices hurts local farmers, threatening future food production and potentially leading to long-term scarcity.
Weak Purchasing Power : The primary problem for most citizens is not the price of food alone, but a severe lack of disposable income. Stagnant wages and high inflation in other sectors mean that even lower food prices offer little relief to families struggling to afford basic necessities.
Job Losses in Agriculture : The collapse of local farm profitability could lead to widespread job losses in the agricultural sector, which employs a large portion of the workforce, further reducing community incomes and exacerbating poverty.
Uncertain Future : The failure to distribute promised resources like tractors and the reliance on short-term import solutions create uncertainty about the government’s capacity to ensure stable and affordable food supply in the future, leaving citizens vulnerable to market shocks.
Stakeholders are now calling for a systemic overhaul that moves beyond temporary fixes to include genuine investment in local production, robust subsidies for farmers, and policies that strengthen the national currency and consumer purchasing power.