A former Special Adviser on Agriculture to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Dolapo Bright, has expressed concerns that the recent decline in food prices in Nigeria is not sustainable. According to Bright, the temporary reduction in the prices of grains can be attributed to the Federal Government’s importation intervention in July 2024.
Bright, who appeared as a guest on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political program aired on Channels Television, explained that the current dip in onion prices is due to the dry-season harvest in regions like Kano, Sokoto, and Kebbi. “By December, onion was reaching ₦200,000 to ₦300,000. Now, onion is down,” he stated, adding that prices of other crops such as tomatoes and pepper had similarly dropped. However, he noted that pepper prices had begun to rise again due to ongoing demand-supply issues.
He criticized the government’s grain importation strategy, calling it a “disgrace” that the country had imported grains at zero duty. “We are celebrating the importation of grains from other countries, and these countries support their farmers. Thailand supports rice farmers with $1.6bn every year in subsidies. Europe supports farmers generally, $34bn annually, even more than the United States,” he said. Bright argued that the Nigerian government’s support for local farmers has failed to make a tangible impact on the agriculture sector.
Bright further illustrated the inefficiency of government support with an example involving the delayed provision of fertilizers to farmers. “Last year, the President said we are going to give fertilizers to farmers. We started planting now and will plant till June, and the government wants to give them fertilizers in July. And the fertilizers came in September. It’s too late,” he lamented.
He concluded that food prices are likely to rise again unless the government continues to import food to meet Nigeria’s growing demand, driven by its population of over 200 million. “The demand for food in Nigeria is high… we’ve got to produce every time, not once in a year, and the government must support the farmers because the support of farmers is critical to food security,” Bright emphasized.
Analyst Moheed Dahiru echoed Bright’s concerns, noting that Nigerians have yet to feel the positive effects of the government’s agricultural interventions. Dahiru said the government’s reforms had contributed to a sharp rise in food prices between May 29, 2023, and February 2025, pushing prices beyond the affordability threshold for most Nigerians. “Even the implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage has not helped to mitigate the problem of unaffordable food items,” he added.
Dahiru also criticized government policies, claiming that attempts at public reforms had instead harmed the economy and jeopardized food security. He further lamented that food items in the market have become unaffordable due to the economic struggles faced by Nigerians over the past two years. Dahiru called for a more focused policy to ensure the country’s long-term food security.