This food basket is gradually becoming empty

JOHNSON BABAJIDE reports on how insecurity in Benue State has almost emptied the food basket and government’s efforts to restore peace and refill the basket for food security.

THOUGH dubbed the food basket of Nigeria because of its rich agricultural production and fertile soil, the food production levels in Benue State have continued to plummet owing to the savagery of armed herder and devastation caused by communal clashes.

The situation in Benue has affected livelihoods and destroyed families even beyond the shores of the state as the rising cost of food is already straining household budgets, leaving many families unable to afford basic meals across the country.

The state, once known for its vast production of yam, rice, and other staple crops, is now grappling with declining yields. Farmers who once tilled the fields with hope now live in fear as insecurity—largely caused by herder-farmer conflicts, banditry, and kidnappings—has turned fertile farmlands into battlegrounds. Many villagers have been forced to abandon their farms, seeking refuge in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps or migrating to urban centers for safety, leaving acres of farmland uncultivated.

Checks revealed that Benue is blessed with favourable climate and fertile soil that make it a leading producer of crops like yams, rice, maize, cassava, and groundnuts. Other crops grown in the state include peanuts, mango varieties, citrus, palm oil, melon, African pear, chili pepper, and tomatoes

Being an agrarian state, farming is the hub of the state’s economy with about 80 percent of the population engaged in farming. For instance, Ukum Local Government Area alone is said to be the highest producer of yam tubers in the country as over 1,000 truckloads of yam used to leave Zaki Biam International Yam Market everyday to other parts of the country and neighbouring counties.

Unfortunately, the yam-producing communities like Zaki Biam have been deserted following the double-edged criminality that has turned the local government to slaughter’s slabs.

In the past few years, Ukum LGA, headquartered in Zaki Biam, has witnessed an orgy of violence from both local bandits and marauding herders.

Speaking on the effects of insecurity on farmers in the state, the state chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Sam Yuwa, lamented the gory experiences members of the association have been going through in the communities affected by criminalities, adding that many rice farmers did not farm last year due to insecurity occasioned by attacks from herdsmen.

“Last year, out of fear of Fulani herders, many rice farmers did not engage in farming,” Yuwa said.

In a separate telephone chat, Yam Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mrs Nyiekaa Amua, said many yam farmers have lost their lives and their farm crops to marauders while many others have been maimed. This, according to her, has made many farmers to abandon their farms for fear of attack.

Amua said: “Due to insecurity in Sankera axis, particularly, Ukum LGA where we have highest population of yam farmers, many farmers could not farm last year due to fear because many farmers have lost their lives.”

Before the present administration assumed office, no fewer than 18 out of the 23 local government areas of the state were reportedly attacked by marauding herdsmen.

Over 1.5 million people, mostly farmers, which were displaced took refuge in various camps located within the state, according to the leader of the three socio-cultural groups in the state, Mzough U Tiv, Ochi’kidoma and Omi’Ngede, Iorbee Ihagh.

Ihagh lamented that several villages are now desolate due to the herdsmen attacks. He also disclosed that some council wards in the state have been taken over by marauding herders.

He said: “It’s disheartening that several people in the state can no longer have access to their communities due to incessant attacks by herdsmen.

“For instance, my own council ward known as ‘Moon’ in Kwande LGA has long been abandoned due to the ugly activities of herdsmen. All public institutions such as schools, marketplaces, and primary health centres in the council were burnt down.

“These herders also burnt down several houses including mine. It is difficult for us in the council ward to access those communities. Even when my wife died, I could not bury her in my village. That shows how terrible the situation is.”

Ihagh, a retired Comptroller of Prison and President General of Mzough U Tiv Worldwide, accused security agents posted to the area of shielding the marauders who, he claimed, openly brandish sophisticated weapons while at the same time arresting farmers with cutlasses.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to give orders to the military chiefs to ensure that all foreign marauders that have taken over Benue communities are driven away so that the IDPs can return to their ancestral homes.

The socio-cultural leader added that until the foreign marauders are repatriated to their countries, Nigeria will continue to face food insecurity.

State Government Efforts

But, the state government has not relented in the efforts to curb the violence that has enveloped parts of the state. Efforts such as military deployments and peace-building initiatives have yielded some results. Though farmers argue that more needs to be done to secure rural areas and rebuild trust among communities, some others are applauding the state government’s recent efforts at curtailing the activities of criminals in the state, particularly with the strengthening of state security outfit known as Civil Protection Guards launched in December 2024 with 5,000 personnel.

According to a rice farmer, Terhemen, unlike before, the dry season used to be the peak period for conflicts between farmers and herders in the state because it was the time herders migrated to the state in search of water and grass for their cattle.

“This is January, we have not witnessed massive attacks as it used to be, and this may be as a result of measures put in place by the state government,” Terhemen said.

This commendation was equally echoed by the chairmen of rice and yam farmers as they alluded to the fact that security seems to have improved in the state in recent times. They expressed optimism about farmers returning to farm this year during the cropping season.

Benue State governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, who decried the challenges faced by farmers in the state, said that going by Displacement Tracking Matrix report of June 2024, the state currently shelters 500,182 displaced persons, which he said accounted for 38% of the displaced population in this region.

He further said that the individuals were dispersed across 26 camps and 185 host communities, enduring conditions that are far from ideal.

“They grapple with inadequate shelter, limited access to clean water and sanitation, insufficient healthcare services, and a lack of robust protection mechanisms. Such hardships have precipitated detrimental coping strategies, including early marriages, transactional activities, and reduced food intake, disproportionately affecting women, children, and persons with disabilities,” the governor said.

He, however, highlighted efforts his administration has made to curb the challenges which include enrollment of over 6,273 vulnerable individuals from 15 IDP camps into the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, and ensuring they receive essential healthcare services that are vital for their well-being.

He added: “Allocation of over 70 hectares of land, for we have facilitated the construction of shelters, restoring dignity to 5,600 displaced households. This achievement has been realised through the invaluable collaboration with partners like IOM and USAID – BHA.

“We have empowered host communities with resources and social services to alleviate any strains arising from the influx of displaced populations.

“To bolster safety for both IDPs and host communities, we have deployed over 5,000 Civil Protection Guards working with the Nigerian security agencies, providing a critical layer of security against potential threats.”

He said that his administration is in alignment with ECHO’s emphasis on supporting agricultural livelihoods to enhance food security and resilience by implementing several key initiatives such as providing displaced persons and host communities with agricultural inputs, training, and resources to resume farming activities.

“This approach not only ensures food security but also fosters economic independence and stability.

“We are also promoting sustainable and climate-resilient farming techniques to mitigate the impacts of environmental challenges. By adopting these practices, farmers can achieve better yields and contribute to the state’s overall food production,” the governor said.

 

International Support

In her assessment of the worrying situation during a visit to some IDP camps in Benue State, the Chief Mission of the International Organisation for Migration in Nigeria, Paula Pace, hinted that the struggle for resources was the major cause of conflicts, particularly between farmers and herders in the country.

Pace, who spoke to journalists at Ortese IDP camp located in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, said that there is steady population increase without the commensurate increase in resources.

The IOM representative was in the state on a two-day visit, part of include visits to IDP camps at Mbayion and Ortese built by IOM.

The organisation also revealed that it is planning more areas of intervention in the state following the herders’ incessant attacks on Benue communities.

Governor Alia, who received the foreign partners, however, lamented that despite his government’s efforts, over 1,000 households were still affected by attacks within the space of 11 days.

According to the governor while quoting Displacement Tracking Matrix, “Despite efforts to address the challenges, attacks still affect the state’s population with the recent attacks affecting over 1,000 households between December 29th and now.”

As the situation in Benue remains stalemate, the question is how long can Nigeria’s food basket endure the strain? Experts equally believe that without decisive action to address the root causes of insecurity, the state’s agricultural glory may soon become a distant memory, leaving millions at risk of hunger and economic despair.

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