By Shu’aibu Usman Leman
Across Northern Nigeria today, there is a growing sense of anxiety within the agricultural sector. The hard-working men and women who have historically formed the backbone of the region’s food production now face an increasingly precarious future.
Their toil, once a source of pride and stability, is being undermined by forces far beyond their control.
From the rich farmlands of Kano and Jigawa to the arid plains of Bauchi and Yobe, farmers speak of the same dilemma — a painful squeeze between soaring production costs and collapsing farmgate prices.
The economic reality of farming has turned grim, transforming what was once a sustainable livelihood into a perilous gamble for survival.
Despite countless pledges and policy statements, the situation on the ground has scarcely changed. Inputs such as fertilisers, improved seeds, and agrochemicals have become prohibitively expensive.
In some areas, farmers abandon parts of their fields simply because they cannot afford the necessary inputs to cultivate them.
This crisis is not a failure of individual farmers, it is a systemic failure of planning, timing, and coherent strategy.
The absence of timely intervention and consistent policy execution has left Northern farmers dangerously exposed. Subsidies are promised but rarely delivered in full and when they do come, they often arrive too late to make a difference.
The perennial delay in fertiliser distribution is emblematic of this dysfunction. Season after season, consignments arrive after the rains have already begun, leaving farmers no choice but to plant under suboptimal conditions.
The resulting poor yields are then unfairly blamed on the farmers themselves, when in truth, they are victims of chronic administrative inertia.
To reverse this trajectory, Northern state governments must act with foresight and urgency. Planning for the next planting season should not begin when the rains fall, it must begin now. Fertilisers must be procured early, stored securely, and distributed well in advance of the planting season.
This single measure could dramatically improve yields and prevent avoidable losses.
Early procurement also allows governments to negotiate better prices, avoiding the inflated costs of last-minute emergency purchases. It minimises hoarding and profiteering by middlemen who exploit scarcity for personal gain. Transparency across the supply chain must be non-negotiable. Beyond procurement, states with the capacity should invest in fertiliser blending and compounding plants. This is not merely an industrial initiative; it is a strategic move toward regional self-sufficiency. Local production would ensure a steady supply of fertilisers, reduce dependence on distant suppliers, and provide much-needed jobs for Northern youth.
These plants could also drive rural industrialisation, strengthening value chains that link production, processing, and distribution. In today’s volatile global market, local capacity for critical agricultural inputs is essential. The North cannot continue to rely on uncertain imports or erratic supply lines.
Yet fertilisers alone cannot solve the problem. Farmers are also grappling with devastating post-harvest losses and the collapse of grain prices.
After months of labour, many are forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices to meet urgent financial needs. This recurring tragedy impoverishes farmers and weakens the rural economy.
This is where Northern state governments must intervene decisively. Structured grain-purchasing mechanisms must be established to buy directly from farmers at fair, guaranteed prices. Such a policy would stabilise markets, protect rural incomes, and build vital food reserves.
It is an investment in both food security and social stability.
To ensure sustainability, governments should institutionalise these interventions through the creation of State Grains Boards, professional, transparent, and insulated from political interference.
Their mandate should include strategic grain purchasing, scientific storage, and responsible release during periods of scarcity.
Properly managed, Grains Boards would play many of the stabilising roles once undertaken by the old marketing boards, but with modern governance structures, digital monitoring, and accountability systems.
They would protect farmers from exploitation by traders who currently dictate prices at will, to the detriment of both producers and consumers.
These boards would also provide a price floor during bumper harvests, ensuring fair compensation for farmers. During lean seasons, stored grains could be released to moderate prices and avert artificial scarcity. This approach would promote market stability and national food security.
In extending this vision beyond grains, Northern state governments should also establish structured support for root and tuber crops such as cassava, yams, and both sweet and Irish potatoes, all widely cultivated across the region.
Just as Grains Boards would stabilise cereal markets, Root and Tuber Development Boards could oversee pricing, reduce post-harvest losses, promote processing industries, and strengthen value chains that create jobs and boost food security.
By diversifying their focus, the Northern states would not only safeguard national grain reserves but also build a broader, more resilient agricultural economy capable of withstanding market shocks and climate disruptions.
The lack of such structures is one of the primary reasons Northern farmers remain trapped in a cycle of uncertainty and vulnerability. With the government acting as a credible off-taker, confidence would return to the sector.
Farmers would plan better, invest more, and produce with the assurance that their efforts will not end in ruin.The combined effect of early fertiliser procurement, local production, and structured grain and tuber purchasing could transform Northern agriculture.
It would usher in a new era of predictability, sustainability, and prosperity. These reforms, if pursued with integrity and consistency, would redefine the region’s economic future.
However, for any of these measures to succeed, transparency and accountability must be sacrosanct. Past experiences are rife with examples of fertilisers diverted to cronies or grains mismanaged for political gain.
Such corrosive practices must not be allowed to return. Every transaction, from procurement to distribution, must be open to scrutiny.
Northern Nigeria remains the cornerstone of the nation’s food security. Its fields feed not only the region but also the rest of the country and in some cases, neighbouring West African nations. Protecting this agricultural base is not merely a regional duty; it is a national imperative. Without a strong, confident, and prosperous North, Nigeria cannot sustainably feed itself.
The time for hesitation has passed. The era of half-measures and fragmented reforms must give way to bold, coordinated action. Northern states must rise to the challenge: plan early, produce locally, buy wisely, and manage transparently.
Only then will the farmer regain hope, the region regain strength, and the nation secures its future.
Leman is a former National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
