The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has raised concerns over the growing threat of insecurity to farmers across the country, warning that the trend could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile food security situation.
The chairman of AFAN, Kaduna State chapter, Alhaji Nuhu Aminu during an interview with journalists in Kaduna yesterday, expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity that is preventing farmers from accessing their farmlands.
According to Aminu, the escalating threats posed by banditry, kidnapping, and violent attacks in rural communities are discouraging many farmers from going to their farms during this critical planting season.
“The level of insecurity in the country has reached an alarming stage. Our farmers are living in fear. Many of them have been attacked or kidnapped in the past, and now they are afraid to return to their farmlands. This is a serious threat to food security, not just in the country.
“We receive reports daily of farmers abandoning their farms because of attacks or threats from these criminal elements,” he said.
Aminu called on both the federal and state governments to urgently deploy more security personnel to the affected communities and provide sustainable interventions to safeguard farmers and their livelihoods.
He warned that unless decisive action is taken, Nigeria may face severe food shortages and economic hardship in the coming months.
“Farming is our livelihood. If farmers cannot go to the farm, what do we eat? What happens to the economy of the country? The time to act is now.”
He also appealed for support from stakeholders, including traditional rulers, security agencies, and civil society groups, to work together in finding lasting solutions to the insecurity affecting rural farming communities.
In addition to the security challenges, Aminu emphasised that the late distribution of farm inputs such as fertilisers, improved seeds, and agrochemicals is compounding the problem.
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