…Warn of looming hunger, call for creation of agro-security units and food green zones

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – In the wake of the recent Yelewata massacre in Benue State, Nigerian farmers have cried out to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently secure major food-producing corridors to prevent a full-scale food crisis.

The farmers, speaking with Vanguard over the weekend, expressed deep concern over the increasing wave of violent attacks targeting farming communities across several states, particularly during the wet season—a critical time for food cultivation.

Sandra Victor-Gwafan, Chief Executive Officer of DeBranch Farmers Limited, decried the worsening security situation in key agricultural states including Benue, Plateau, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Taraba, and Niger, describing the attacks as a direct threat to Nigeria’s food system.

“These states are not just geographical entities; they are the lifeline of our nation’s agricultural output,” she said. “The persistent and intensifying attacks have devastating implications. Farmers are being driven off their lands, crops are unplanted or destroyed, and entire communities are displaced. If this continues, Nigeria could face a full-blown food crisis.”

Victor-Gwafan called on the Tinubu-led administration to move beyond reactionary measures and adopt a proactive strategy to safeguard agriculture and food security. She proposed the following:

Establishment of Permanent Agro-Security Units: Special security outfits should be deployed to protect farming communities all year round.

Intelligence and Early Warning Systems: Surveillance technology and grassroots intelligence should be used to prevent attacks.

Creation of Green Zones for Farming: Secure, well-monitored agricultural corridors supported by the military and local vigilantes.

Rebuilding Support for Displaced Farmers: Compensation, resettlement, and psychosocial support to help farmers return to productivity.

Empowered Local Governance: Strengthen conflict resolution and community peacebuilding mechanisms.

Access to Inputs and Agricultural Insurance: Subsidize farm inputs and promote insurance for farmers in high-risk areas.

“At DeBranch Farmers Ltd, we remain committed to feeding Nigeria, but we cannot do it alone,” she stated. “Protecting our farmers and farmland must become a national security priority. A nation that cannot feed itself is a nation at risk.”

Also reacting, Jerry Tobi, Chief Executive Officer of Jet FarmsNG and popularly known as the Chief Farmer of Africa, called for the deployment of an integrated task force to secure Nigeria’s food corridors.

Tobi emphasized the need for a holistic and systemic approach, urging the Tinubu administration to shift from fragmented responses to coordinated strategies that tackle security, climate, and economic challenges simultaneously.

He proposed the following key actions:

Security Overhaul: Deploy integrated task forces and engage communities in food-producing regions.

Climate-Smart Agriculture: Promote drought-resistant crops, expand insurance coverage, and support climate-resilient farming.

Economic Support: Provide direct farm inputs, promote mechanization, and create agribusiness hubs for youth engagement.

Institutional Reforms: Establish a Presidential Food Security Council, revitalize agricultural colleges, and fast-track the national land bank initiative.

Tobi further called for stronger regional partnerships and financial backing for initiatives like the Sahel emergency appeal to ensure long-term food system resilience.

The farmers’ urgent appeals come amid worsening food inflation and rising insecurity, with analysts warning that Nigeria’s food sovereignty is under serious threat unless immediate steps are taken.