World Food Day: 7 Reasons Nigeria Is Not Feeding Itself

Every October 16, the global World Food Day, is marked, with countries asked how well they feed their people. This year’s theme is “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.” For Nigeria, the honest answer is: not well enough. Many farmers are asking a harder question, which is whether they can afford to plant at all. A bag of fertiliser costs more than twice what a bag of maize sells for, imports are crowding out local produce, and attacks keep farmers away from their land.

Here are seven reasons Nigeria is still not feeding itself.

1. Imports keep rising. Nigeria imported about 10.1 million tonnes of grain in the 2025/2026 marketing year, including 6.7 million tonnes of wheat and 3.2 million tonnes of rice, according to the USDA data. The CBN has said food imports cost $2.34 billion in 2025.

2. The duty-free window hurt local farmers. The 2024 waiver on duties for wheat, beans, rice, maize and other grains cost the government more than N188 billion in revenue. Farmers say cheap imports undercut their prices.

3. Rice mills are closing. About 90 of the country’s more than 150 rice mills have shut down, according to the Rice Processors Association. The rest run at 30 to 70 per cent of capacity.

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

5. Inputs cost more than the harvest earns. Fertiliser and agrochemical costs have risen by 56 per cent. In Taraba, a bag of NPK fertiliser costs N45,000 to N50,000, while a bag of maize sells for N22,000 to N23,000. Some farmers are switching to soybeans and sesame, which could shrink food crop supply.

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

7. Aid is shrinking. The World Food Programme could reach only 72,000 people in Nigeria in February, down from 1.3 million in the 2025 lean season.

Though the minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari said food prices have fallen by up to 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 and security are still needed.

Nigeria can grow most of what it eats. Getting there takes cheaper inputs, safer farms and an import policy that protects local producers.