August 2025
When Nigeria celebrated independence in 1960, many believed the country had enough land, farmers and resources to feed itself and even export food across Africa. Sixty-five years later, in 2025, Nigerians are still struggling to afford basic staples. Rice has become a luxury, bread is disappearing from the tables of the poor, and even garri, once regarded as “the food of the masses,” has tripled in price.
Why is Africa’s largest economy still unable to feed its own people after 125 years of modern agriculture?
The Colonial Legacy (1900–1960)
Under British colonial rule, Nigeria was not encouraged to produce food for its own people. Instead, farmers were pushed into cash crops for export. Cocoa came from the west, groundnuts from the north, and palm oil from the east. These were sent to Britain and Europe, while food production was left largely to small subsistence farmers.
Urban dwellers in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt soon developed a taste for imported rice and wheat. These foods were expensive, but they carried prestige. By 1960, Nigeria could produce plenty of yam, cassava, sorghum and millet, but it had already begun to depend on imported rice and wheat to satisfy the urban elite.
Oil Wealth and Import Addiction (1960s–1970s)
The oil boom changed everything. With billions of petrodollars flowing in, Nigeria could import whatever it wanted. Rice, wheat, milk powder, even frozen chicken—all arrived in large ships through Apapa and Port Harcourt ports. Food prices remained stable, but at a cost.
Farmers abandoned their land because they could not compete with cheap imported food. By the mid-1970s, rural-urban migration had accelerated. Villages lost their youth to the cities, and agriculture began its long decline.
Operation Feed the Nation (1976–1979)
Realizing the danger, the Obasanjo military government launched Operation Feed the Nation. Radio jingles and posters urged everyone to “go back to the land.” The program distributed seeds and fertilizers, but without irrigation or modern storage, production gains were limited. By 1979, Nigeria was still importing rice and wheat to feed its growing cities.
The Green Revolution and Buhari’s War on Imports (1980–1985)
President Shehu Shagari declared a “Green Revolution” in the early 1980s. But just as his government was spending heavily on agriculture, oil prices crashed, and imports became unaffordable. Food prices rose sharply.
Then came the Buhari military regime in 1984. Determined to stop “wasteful imports,” his government banned rice, wheat and milk. But Nigeria was not ready. Domestic rice was scarce, and wheat could not grow well in Nigerian soil. Within months, food prices exploded.
In Lagos, housewives stood in long queues for bread that never came. Smuggling boomed in Seme and Katsina. Ordinary Nigerians fell back on yam, maize and garri, but even these became more expensive. For many Nigerians, 1984–85 remains a bitter memory of hunger and queues.
SAP and the Harsh Medicine of the IMF (1986–1993)
General Babangida’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) opened Nigeria’s markets once again. Imports were allowed, but at a steep cost. The naira was devalued, and imported rice and wheat became more expensive.
This time, local farmers gained some ground. Cassava, maize and sorghum production rose. Yet without irrigation, mechanization or storage, production remained unstable. Food prices went up and down, often leaving the poor exposed.
Democracy and Cheap Imports (1999–2014)
With the return of democracy in 1999, successive governments embraced globalization. Nigeria became the second-largest importer of rice in the world. Shiploads of Thai and Indian rice filled Nigerian markets, while bread from imported wheat became a staple for urban families.
For over a decade, cheap imports kept Nigerian households fed. But it was a dangerous dependency. By 2014, Nigeria was spending billions of dollars yearly on food imports while local farmers struggled with low yields and insecurity.
Buhari’s Second Era and the Rice Revolution (2015–2023)
When Muhammadu Buhari returned to power in 2015, he revived his old policy of restricting imports. Rice imports were blocked, and the Central Bank launched the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme to boost local rice farming.
At first, there was hope. New rice mills opened in Kebbi, Kano and Ebonyi. Local farmers expanded production. But insecurity in the north, poor roads, and high input costs crippled progress.
By 2020, a 50kg bag of local rice cost more than imported rice in neighboring Benin Republic. Smuggling flourished again. Nigerians paid the price as rice became unaffordable. Cassava, yam and beans also shot up in price.
2023–2025: The Food Crisis Deepens
Today, Nigeria is in the middle of one of its worst food crises ever. Inflation has hit food harder than any other sector. The naira’s collapse has made imports almost impossible, while insecurity has driven farmers away from their fields.
A bag of rice that cost ₦8,000 in 2015 now sells for more than ₦70,000. A mudu of garri, once the poor man’s comfort food, has risen from ₦100 to ₦700 in just two years. For many families, meat and milk are now rare luxuries.
Why Nigeria Still Fails
Nigeria’s problem is not land or people—it is policy. For over a century, governments have swung between two extremes: open borders that flood the market with cheap imports, and sudden bans that create shortages and inflation.
Neither has worked because Nigeria has never built the foundation of true food security:
Irrigation systems to guarantee year-round farming.
Good rural roads to connect farmers to markets.
Storage facilities to prevent post-harvest losses.
Security to allow farmers to work without fear.
Instead, politicians have treated food policy as a quick fix—ban imports today, allow them tomorrow—without solving the rest
Looking Ahead
By 2050, Nigeria’s population will reach nearly 400 million. If the country cannot feed 230 million people today, how will it feed almost twice as many in just 25 years?
The lesson of history is clear. Nigeria cannot ban or import its way out of hunger. It must invest in production, support farmers, and stabilize the economy. Otherwise, the cycle of cheap imports, expensive bans, and rising hunger will continue.
Final Word
Nigeria has tried everything—import bans, subsidies, liberalization. None has worked because the root problems remain untouched. Until real investment is made in agriculture, the bitter truth is that Nigerians will keep asking the same question: why can’t we feed ourselves?
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Opinion