Farmers at Risk

Nigeria is teetering on the brink of a looming food crisis. The scale of food insecurity has surged dramatically, rising by 133 per cent in three years (2020 – 2023). According to a report, the number of Nigerians facing food insecurity escalated from 63.8 million between 2014 and 2016 to 148.7 million between 2020 and 2022. A combination of factors, such as security challenges, farmer-herder conflicts, climate change, governmental responses, and structural vulnerabilities within the Nigerian system, are catalysing this crisis. At the same time, there is a disturbing trend: the extortionate levies imposed on farmers by armed bandits, which not only jeopardise the livelihoods of agricultural communities but also exacerbate food insecurity across the nation.

A menace to food security has evolved in the form of escalating targeted attacks on farmers and farming communities by marauding gangs. This is especially so in Northern Nigeria. For instance, in the Northeast, farmers live constantly under threat of violence from terrorist groups. Besides the loss of lives, such attacks also precipitate humanitarian crises, which worsen an already severe condition of food insecurity. In the Northwest, farmers face a different but equally dangerous challenge. They have witnessed a growing trend where bandits impose levies before accessing their farms. This has gained ground since 2019 and increased over time as farmers are compelled to channel huge amounts of money amounting to millions of naira into banditry activities, which they call ‘farming taxation’.

The demands imposed by bandits on farmers in various communities inflict financial harm and also expose them to the constant threat of violence and loss. This fraudulent activity is evident in places like Kidandan, Galadimawa Kerawa, Sabon Layi, Sabon Birni and Ruma in Kaduna state. For instance, residents here talk about painful experiences whereby they were forced to pay bandits huge sums ranging between ₦70,000 and ₦100,000 to practice farming on their lands. Nonetheless, these payments cannot offer any safety guarantee because refusing these demands implies that farmers remain vulnerable to abduction or even death. There has also been confiscation of farm produce by these criminals acting behind the banner of banditry. Also, bandits often unleash their cattle to graze on crops, annihilating potential proceeds and further plunging farmers into despair. Furthermore, there are farmers forced by circumstances to give out their produce as a payment in kind for whatever services were rendered to them by these bandits, leaving only dwindling stocks and uncertain tomorrows.

The consequences of such an extortionist system are beyond what can be seen economically. The danger of loss of lives for non-compliance also looms large. A news report revealed that farmers are dying in scores from bandit attacks while others are being kidnapped. The worst-hit states are Benue, Sokoto, Niger, and Plateau. Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina are also seriously affected. For instance, the continuing presence of armed bandits along critical agricultural areas like Jibia, Batsari and other local governments in Katsina state makes farming activities difficult for the people there. The fear of violence makes it impossible for many farmers to go to farms during the dry season, which is also a harvest period. Hence, fallow fields, withering plants and hopes of bountiful harvests go down the drain. However, amidst all this gloominess, Nigeria’s response has been insufficient at best, worsening both local farmers’ plights and the nation’s food security problems. In an attempt to stop banditry from reoccurring, military interventions have been used sometimes but not continuously, while efforts to address its root causes remain inconsistent.

Concerted efforts are imperative to combat this burgeoning crisis. A significant security measure that needs to be taken is the protection of farmers and their farmlands. Also, measures like initiatives on income diversification and agricultural resilience should be put in place; these help farmers subjected to high taxation levels. Furthermore, Nigeria needs strong agricultural policies and investments in infrastructural development and technology to ensure resilience in its agricultural sector, thus providing food security. Nigeria risks the danger of extortionate levies imposed by armed bandits on farmers. This will continue unless immediate steps are taken to address the situation and build up resistance among Nigerian farming communities.

Recommended Reading:

• Broken Links: Assessing the Drivers of Food Insecurity in Nigeria
• Food for War and Peace