Africa-focused consulting firm SB Morgen Intelligence warns that Nigeria’s food insecurity crisis has worsened due to the rising death toll of farmers. In its report, ‘An August Nightmare’, SBM identifies insecurity as the second-largest challenge facing farmers, after poor road conditions.
The firm notes that hunger and economic hardships affect the entire country but are more severe in the north, where bandits and kidnappers have taken over large areas. Farmers in the region face multiple taxation by bandit warlords, with over N139 million paid in farm levies between 2020 and 2023.
At least 1,356 farmers were killed across the country between 2020 and June 2024, with most deaths occurring in the north. These illegal tolls have made it difficult for farmers to access their farms, exacerbating food insecurity.
SBM highlights that insecurity has significantly impacted daily lives, leading to widespread protests and complicating Nigeria’s fragile security situation. Protests broke out on August 1, calling for policy reversals, including the removal of petrol subsidy and exchange rate unification, which have caused increased inflation.
In response, the federal government announced measures to address high food prices, including a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities and the establishment of the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit to address food insecurity.
