Stakeholders urge FG to tackle insecurity, boost youth

Nigeria's food security crisis has reached a critical inflection point. As millions of Nigerians face deepening hunger, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has stepped forward with a concrete roadmap to stabilize agricultural production and restore investor confidence in Africa's largest economy.

At the 9th Vanguard Economic Discourse in Lagos, FAO Country Director Hussein Gadain presented six strategic pathways designed to reposition Nigeria's $30+ billion agricultural sector. The timing is urgent: according to the FAO, food insecurity has worsened across the country due to three interconnected crises—persistent insecurity in northern states, youth unemployment in rural areas, and systemic policy fragmentation at federal and state levels.

## What Are the FAO's Six Strategic Pathways?

While Gadain's full framework encompasses security, youth inclusion, and institutional reform, the broader agenda targets three core areas: (1) securing farming communities against banditry and herder-farmer conflicts, (2) channeling young Nigerians into commercial agriculture through training and financing, and (3) harmonizing agricultural policy across federal, state, and local governments. Each pathway directly impacts investor returns—crop yields, supply chain reliability, and rural purchasing power.

## Why Is Youth Inclusion the Missing Link?

Nigeria's agricultural workforce is aging. The country has over 40 million young people outside formal employment, yet rural agricultural jobs remain unattractive due to low mechanization, poor market access, and perceived low returns. Stakeholders at the discourse emphasized that without deliberate youth inclusion programs—coupled with access to credit and modern farming inputs—productivity will continue declining. For agribusiness investors, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity: companies that help transition smallholder youth to commercial farming create stable supply chains and reduce rural poverty simultaneously.

## How Does Insecurity Undermine Food Production?

Northern Nigeria, responsible for over 60% of the nation's grain production, has been ravaged by banditry and Boko Haram activity. Farmers are abandoning fields, herds are being rustled, and agricultural markets have fragmented. The FAO estimates that insecurity has reduced agricultural output by up to 30% in affected regions. Until federal and state governments coordinate effective security operations, investor appetite for agricultural projects in these zones will remain suppressed.

## Market Implications for Investors

The FAO's six-point framework signals a potential policy reset. If the federal government and state governors move decisively on security, youth training programs, and input subsidy reform, agricultural productivity could recover 15–25% within 18–24 months. This would translate into:

- **Input suppliers** (seeds, fertilizers, equipment): increased rural demand
- **Agro-processors**: improved feedstock availability and consistency
- **Food retail and distribution**: lower supply-side inflation
- **Rural financial services**: new lending opportunities to trained youth cohorts

Conversely, if insecurity persists and youth programs remain underfunded, food inflation will accelerate, rural unemployment will deepen, and Nigeria's import bill for grains and proteins will balloon beyond current $3+ billion annually.

The discourse revealed consensus among policymakers, private sector leaders, and development partners: the time for incremental agricultural reform has passed. The FAO's roadmap, if implemented with urgency and funding discipline, offers a realistic pathway to food security and measurable returns for private investors willing to engage in high-impact agricultural value chains.

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