How Insecurity Is Pushing Up Food Prices as Farmers Leave Their Fields

When farmers abandon their land because of banditry, kidnapping and other violence, the impact goes far beyond rural communities. It reaches markets, kitchens and the budgets of families across Nigeria. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported in September 2026 that conflict had disrupted farming in major food-producing states, including Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara. Some households have reduced the land they cultivate or stopped farming because they cannot safely access their fields. Fewer farmers planting maize, rice, beans, tomatoes and other staples can reduce supply and put further pressure on prices. Fuel, fertiliser, transport, weather and exchange rates also affect food costs, but insecurity makes the problem worse by disrupting cultivation, trade routes and access to markets. Farmers lose income when crops cannot be planted or harvested, while consumers pay more for food. Protecting farming communities, transporters and market routes is therefore essential to Nigeria's food security and the affordability of basic meals.

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