|By Adejumo Adekunle
…Tinubu’s import waiver policy sparks backlash as fertiliser cost surges
Nigerian farmers have expressed alarm over the widespread availability of imported rice and maize, warning that the influx is crippling local production and threatening national food security.
In a series of statements shared on X, farmers accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of neglecting indigenous agriculture through policies that favour importation. They argued that the 150-day duty-free import window introduced by the Federal Government in July 2024 has flooded local markets with foreign grains, leading to a sharp decline in demand for Nigerian-grown rice and maize.
The farmers’ protest comes as the prices of both commodities dropped significantly across the country. A market survey shows that a 50kg bag of local rice now sells for between ₦65,000 and ₦68,000, while maize ranges from ₦35,000 to ₦37,000 per bag. In contrast, imported rice is priced as high as ₦83,000 per 50kg bag—yet dominates market shelves due to its perceived quality and longer shelf life.
Farmers say this price competition has eaten deep into their profit margins, making cultivation unviable. Many are now questioning the sustainability of continuing production under such conditions.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, had earlier credited the import waiver for reducing the cost of food items across Nigeria. While the policy was intended to provide temporary relief from inflation between July and December 2024, local producers argue it has backfired by exposing them to unfair competition.
Further worsening the situation is the rising cost of fertilisers, which has driven up production expenses for local farmers. With input costs soaring and market returns dwindling, stakeholders warn that the agricultural sector may suffer irreversible damage unless urgent corrective action is taken.
Farmers are now calling for the review or reversal of the import waiver policy, alongside broader government support for local production—including subsidies on fertiliser and access to credit facilities.
“We can’t compete when foreign grains flood our markets, and we can’t even afford the inputs to grow our own,” one rice farmer in Kwara lamented. “This policy is a death sentence to local agriculture.”
