The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s continued importation of subsidised foreign agricultural commodities, warning that this policy is crippling Nigeria’s agro-industry and pushing the country toward food insecurity.
According to Mallam Abdulrazaq Hamzat, executive director of PeacePro, “It is shocking that while other nations subsidize their agricultural industries to create jobs and sustain food production, Nigeria is doing the opposite, importing cheap food to destroy its own agriculture. This is a suicidal economic policy that must stop immediately.”
Hamzat argued that the government’s celebration of declining food prices is misleading, as it is driven by cheap foreign imports
subsidized by other nations.
This, he said, undermines Nigerian farmers and threatens national economic stability.
“The real victory is achieving food sufficiency through strong local production, not artificially low prices from foreign imports. If this policy continues, Nigerian agriculture will be permanently crippled, and the country will become entirely dependent on foreign nations for survival,” Hamzat warned.
He emphasized that Nigerian farmers receive little or no support, making it impossible for them to compete with subsidized foreign imports.
This, he said, has led to declining investments in agriculture and a loss of confidence in the sector.
Hamzat cautioned that the long-term consequences of this policy will be disastrous, leading to a severe food crisis if imports slow down or become expensive.
He also noted that millions of jobs in the agricultural value chain are at risk due to the continuous importation of food.
“Nigeria cannot afford to sacrifice its agricultural industry for short-term economic convenience. We must act now to protect our farmers, secure our economy, and build a self-sufficient nation,” Hamzat urged.
