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Farmers in the northern part of Nigeria are forced to pay levies to bandits to access their farmlands and harvest their crops. This practice, which began around 2019, has become more pronounced in subsequent years, particularly during the last farming season. As a result, millions of naira have been channelled to bandit groups through this shift toward farming taxation
According to a report titled ‘Levies or Lives – The Dilemma Of Farmers In Northern Nigeria,’ conducted by SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research firm, the farmers must have paid to the tune of at least N139.5 million to bandits as levies between 2020-2023. A total of N224.9 million was imposed by the bandits and farmers pay levies before they can access their farmlands. The prevailing insecurity conditions in the country could make the food situation even more severe. Those who resist these demands face severe consequences, including abduction, murder, or confiscation of their produce, the report read.
In addition to illegally imposing levies on farmers, bandits have also become more directly engaged in farming activities. The bandits confiscate farmers’ lands and forcefully co-opt villagers to cultivate the lands. As if that is not enough, the bandits still make villagers harvest and sell the farm produce and bring them the returns, the report revealed.
The decade-long crisis has brought considerable hardship to agrarian communities, as residents find themselves increasingly subjected to terror attacks. Consequently, the increased frequency of targeted attacks on farmers and farming communities has also intensified the threats to Nigeria’s food security.
In its latest report, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that the headline inflation rate hit 29.90 per cent in January. Food inflation, which contributes 50 per cent to the overall inflation rate, surged to 35.41 per cent from the preceding month’s 33.93 per cent.
Many Nigerians contend that the inflation figures do not accurately mirror the present economic or market realities. For instance, rice, a staple food for Nigerians, recently reached a record high of N80,000 and is currently being sold in the range of N75,000. This is a substantial increase from the N50,000 recorded in December 2023. The prevailing insecurity conditions in the country could make the food situation even more severe.
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Around 26.5 million individuals, making up 11.5 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated population, are projected to experience crisis conditions—phase 3 or worse conditions of acute food insecurity during the peak of the country’s upcoming June-to-August 2024 lean season, the period when food is most scarce.
