The impact of security on the agricultural sector: the situation in Nigeria's agriculture

According to historical data, in 1960 Nigerian agriculture provided 60–63 percent of the country's GDP, generated 80 percent of foreign trade revenues, and employed about 90 percent of the labor force, while the volume of food imports was only about 10 percent. According to current data for 2026, the agricultural sector's share in GDP has decreased to 24–25 percent, its share in foreign exchange earnings has fallen to 3.89–5.5 percent, and employment in the industry has declined to 35–40 percent of the labor force. At the same time, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the total volume of food imports in 2025 reached 7.6 trillion naira (11.8 percent of total imports).

Experts attribute the decline in agricultural production in recent years to security problems that have led to disrupted supply chains and unsafe roads. According to Nigeria Health Watch, between 2018 and 2024, approximately 14,000 cases of armed violence were recorded in rural farming areas. This situation has led to Nigeria ranking 115th out of 123 countries worldwide, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN estimated the number of poor Nigerians facing food and nutritional insecurity at 31 million people during the 2025 lean season.

Abdulaziz Mala, a security specialist, noted the impact of destabilization on food security and agricultural trade routes. In particular, in Nigeria's North-Central region, about 94.2 percent of farmers have abandoned their farms due to the threat of attacks amid conflicts between farmers and livestock animal herders. To solve the problem, experts suggest that the government provide security for agricultural communities, paying special attention to Northern Nigeria as the country's main agricultural hub, as well as develop security forces and promote the creation of a state police.