Poor allocations, budget gaps threatening food security in Nigeria- NYF

The Nigeria Youth Forum (NYF) has raised the alarm over worsening food insecurity in the country, attributing the crisis to systemic corruption, diversion of agricultural machinery, weak budgetary commitment, and poor oversight of key interventions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the National President of the group, Comrade Toriah Olajide Filani, expressed dismay that Nigeria, with over 84 million hectares of arable land, continues to depend heavily on food imports and international aid—a development he described as “a national tragedy and policy failure.”

The group noted that despite government announcements on the procurement and importation of agricultural equipment, many of the items end up diverted for private gain, thereby denying genuine farmers the tools needed to boost productivity.

He added that only 35 percent of Nigeria’s cultivable land is currently in use, and largely by smallholder farmers operating at subsistence level without access to modern tools or support services.

“Government may be trying on paper, but the reality is different in the fields. Agricultural machineries meant for community use are being diverted by individuals and sold off. These acts sabotage every effort aimed at achieving food sufficiency,” Filani said.

Filani also decried the persistent underfunding of the agricultural sector, revealing that Nigeria allocated just 1.32 percent of its 2024 national budget to agriculture. He said this figure falls far below the 10 percent benchmark recommended by the African Union under the Maputo and Malabo Declarations.

However, in what appears to be a shift in policy direction, the federal government increased its 2025 agriculture budget to ₦826 billion, up from ₦362 billion in 2024—a 128 percent increase within one year.

While NYF acknowledged the significant rise, Filani emphasized that mere allocation is not enough without effective implementation, transparency, and impact measurement.