Stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector are sounding the alarm over the continued attacks on farming communities in Benue State, a region often referred to as the “food basket of the nation.”
These attacks, reportedly carried out by armed groups, have not only led to loss of lives and displacement of rural populations, but also threaten the state’s agricultural productivity and national food security. Farmers have been forced to abandon their lands, and large portions of farmland lie uncultivated due to fear and insecurity.
Amina Abdulsalam, Founder and Country Program Director, ACASI Nigeria, as well as local cooperatives and agribusiness leaders, are calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent action. They are demanding enhanced security presence in rural areas, the prosecution of perpetrators, and the restoration of confidence among local farmers.
Miss Abdulsalam warn that if the violence is not curtailed, the impact on food supply, market prices, and rural livelihoods could be devastating, not just for Benue, but for the entire
country.
