By: Jide Akinseye
When Nigerians neglected farming after the oil boom in search of white-collar jobs, we became unserious. No nation that aspires to serious development abandons farming and depends on others for food. Billions were spent on food importation, even at a time when our arable land was not under the threat of insecurity.
The Golden Era of Agriculture in Nigeria:
These eras were characterised by various agricultural initiatives and programmes to boost agriculture in Nigeria;they include: the First Republic and Military Era (1960–1975), which focused on cash crops and import substitution.
Nigerian Marketing Boards (1960s): Controlled the export of cocoa, palm oil, groundnuts, and cotton. Revenue funded regional development.
Farm Settlement Schemes (1960s): Established in the Western and Eastern regions. Farmers were resettled on organized farms with housing and inputs.
River Basin Development Authorities (1973): Twelve basins were created for irrigation, flood control, and water supply, e.g., Sokoto–Rima and Hadejia–Jama’are.
Obasanjo Military Era (1976–1979): Focused on food self-sufficiency through Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), 1976—a mass mobilization and “back to the land” campaign involving school farms, input subsidies, and media advocacy. Agricultural Development Projects (ADP), introduced in 1974/75 with World Bank support, began as pilot schemes in Enugu, Funtua, and Gombe and were later scaled nationwide to provide extension services and inputs.
Shagari Civilian Administration (1979–1983): Introduced the Green Revolution Programme (GRP) in 1980, inspired by India, aiming for food self-sufficiency by 1985 through subsidized fertilizer, tractors, and seedlings, although implementation challenges limited its success.
Buhari/Idiagbon Military Era (1984–1985): Emphasized discipline and local production.
Babangida Military Era (1985–1993): Introduced the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) in 1986 to build rural roads, water systems, and feeder roads linking farms to markets.
The realization that Nigeria needed to be food self-sufficient led to several initiatives by successive administrations prior to 1999.
Insecurity was never a major threat to food production then. The greatest challenge was the declining interest of youths in agriculture.
The advent of democracy, however, introduced a challenge we never envisioned—one that is now ravaging and threatening food security, even as private investments flow into agricultural production.
What began in the late stages of the Obasanjo administration in the North has become a growing crisis that is spreading across the country, particularly in the South-West.
In fact, the situation can no longer be ignored—the nation is no longer at ease.
The Oyo Bandit Attack
The most recent major bandit attack in Oyo State occurred on May 15, 2026, when gunmen struck three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, including Baptist Nursery and Primary School. The attackers abducted 39 students and 7 teachers and killed two educators, one of whom was beheaded—an incident that has shocked the South-West.
The attack quickly escalated into a statewide crisis. On June 1, 2026, the Nigeria Union of Teachers declared an indefinite strike across Oyo State to demand the safe release of the abducted students and teachers. This incident followed earlier violence in the year, including a deadly January ambush at Old Oyo National Park that claimed the lives of five forest rangers. Since then, state authorities, the police, and the military have intensified rescue and manhunt operations, but the victims remain in captivity.
Farmers No Longer at Ease:
At a time when large-scale farming driven by agro-entrepreneurs is complementing smallholder farmers to boost production, fear of bandit attacks is beginning to push farmers away from agriculture—a profession once neglected and left in the hands of the elderly.
At a time when agriculture is becoming attractive again to young people, insecurity is taking over arable lands.
What was once considered a northern problem has now extended southward, with the South-West currently among the most affected regions. Each day, more farmers are being discouraged by the fear of attacks on their farms.
Threat to Food Security:
The danger is that while significant private capital is waiting to be invested in agriculture, insecurity is becoming a major barrier. This will affect the overall goal of achieving food sufficiency at a time when the nation is embracing agriculture.
In Search of Solutions:
For more than two decades, Nigeria has been battling one form of insecurity or another, as successive administrations have struggled to resolve the problem. Although military arsenals and security spending have increased, the battle is far from over. It remains a complex economic challenge, as millions are paid in ransom to secure the release of kidnapped victims.
The immediate task before the government is to secure the release of abducted victims. More than 40 people are reportedly in captivity, including children as young as two years old, who are being tortured day and night.
The Tinubu administration has promised the deployment of 1,000 agro-rangers with security support, to rescue the kidnapped victims, the results are yet to be seen.
The State Police Bill is still before the National Assembly, and there are ongoing discussions on establishing agro-rangers to secure forest areas.
The solutions must come urgently to encourage sustained private investment in agriculture, boost food production and ensure food security in the country .
