Nigeria’s Southwest Farmers Call for Urgent Security Measures to Safeguard Agriculture

Youth members of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the South‑West have warned that rising insecurity – including kidnappings, attacks on farms and clashes with herders – is threatening food production and rural livelihoods. In a press conference in Ibadan, AFAN’s South‑West chairman, Feyisayo Dada, urged President Bola Tinubu and the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo to act swiftly. The group highlighted the loss of farmland, ransom costs, and the need for modern livestock management, mechanisation, tractor‑hiring centres, digital agriculture hubs and specialised agro‑ranger units, alongside drones and community intelligence systems.

A separate report cited by the Nigerian Tribune echoed these concerns, adding that inadequate funding, poor road infrastructure and limited access to subsidised inputs further hamper farmers. It called for soft‑loan schemes, improved rural roads, trained vigilante groups cooperating with police, and grazing ranches to reduce herder‑farmer conflicts. Both pieces stress that addressing security and support gaps would restore farming activity, stabilise food prices and improve Nigeria’s overall food security.