By Olatunde Ajayi
Youths in the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), South-West, have raised alarm over rising insecurity threatening farming activities, food production, and rural livelihoods across the region.
The group made the observation in a communiqué read by its Chairman, Mr Feyisayo Dada, at a news conference on Thursday in Ibadan.
It urged President Bola Tinubu and governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states to swiftly move to reverse the trend.
The group acknowledged the strides made by President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and various agricultural interventions aimed at boosting food production across the country.
However, the farmers said insecurity remained a major threat to the success of those initiatives and to Nigeria’s broader food security objectives.
They bemoaned cases of abduction and attacks on farmers, describing it as a key challenge.
According to the group, many farmers have abandoned farms due to fear of abduction and ransom demands.
The farmers cited destruction of crops by animals as a major cause of conflict, urging authorities to promote modern livestock management systems.
The group further highlighted a mismatch between agricultural inputs distributed by federal programmes and the ecological realities of the South-West climate and soil conditions.
It called for an inclusive livestock development approach, demanding equal support for fisheries, poultry, small ruminants, piggery, rabbit production, snail farming, and beekeeping, not just cattle.
The youth farmers also advocated mechanisation to replace indigent farming, recommending tractor hiring centres, equipment leasing, digital agriculture, and agribusiness innovation hubs for young farmers.
To tackle insecurity, the group recommended establishing specialised Agro-Rangers and Farm Protection Security Units, joint security task forces, and deploying surveillance drones and community intelligence systems across South-West region. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Bayo Sekoni