The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has strongly criticized the Federal Government over its continued importation of subsidized foreign agricultural commodities, warning that the policy is crippling Nigeria’s agro-industry, discouraging investment, and endangering food security.
In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Mallam Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the group described the government’s approach as suicidal, arguing that the decline in food prices being celebrated is artificial and dangerous.
Undermining Local Farmers
PeacePro accused the government of prioritizing cheap foreign imports over domestic agricultural development, a move it says undermines Nigerian farmers and threatens the nation’s economic stability.
“It is shocking that while other nations subsidize their agricultural industries to create jobs and sustain food production, Nigeria is doing the opposite—importing cheap food to destroy its own agriculture. This is a suicidal economic policy that must stop immediately,” Hamzat stated.
The group warned that continued reliance on imported food would leave Nigeria permanently dependent on foreign nations for survival, crippling local agriculture.
Call for Policy Reversal
PeacePro urged the Federal Government to reverse its policies and invest in local agricultural production, emphasizing that the real victory lies in achieving food sufficiency through strong local production, rather than artificially low prices from imports.
“If this policy continues, Nigerian agriculture will be permanently crippled, and the country will become entirely dependent on foreign nations for survival,” Hamzat cautioned.
The warning comes at a time when local farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector are advocating for greater government support to boost domestic production and reduce dependency on foreign imports.