Affordable leasing programmes and private sector incentives for mechanisation are essential to modernise farming and lower production costs. Tinubu has promised to procure 10,000 tractors over the next five years. This is welcome but action should replace promises.

Poor infrastructure, particularly roads, exacerbates transportation costs, aggravating food prices. A bag of corn produced in Kaduna often triples in price by the time it reaches Lagos due to high fuel costs, illegal taxes, and extortion along transportation routes.

India has addressed this issue through extensive rural road programmes, which connect farmers to markets and reduce transportation costs. Nigeria must similarlyinvest in rural roads and rail systems to lower transport costs. Strategic investments need to be made in processing and storage systems to make food available well after harvest seasons.

Agriculture is on the concurrent list in the 1999Constitution, yet many state governments have abdicated their duties, relying solely on federal allocations. Successful initiatives like the Lake Rice partnership between Lagos and Kebbi states demonstrate the potential of state-level interventions. Other states must replicate such models and collaborate with the private sector to boost agricultural productivity.

The consequences of Nigeria’s food crisis extend beyond economics. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 report, 172 million Nigerians or 78.7 percent of the population cannot afford a healthy diet.

Malnutrition rates, particularly among children, are rising as families struggle to afford balanced meals. With food accounting for over 60 percent of household expenditures, many Nigerians must choose between feeding their families and meeting other basic needs like education and healthcare.

The Tinubu administration faces an urgent imperative to end the unacceptable irony of mass hunger in a country blessed with abundant agricultural resources. This requires a coherent farming policy framework to prioritisefood self-sufficiency, sustainable farming, and private-sector investment.

Mechanisation, infrastructure development, and state-level initiatives must form the backbone of Nigeria’s agricultural revival. The government must learn from successful examples in Brazil, Kenya, and India, balancing agricultural productivity with affordability.

Food security is not just an economic issue, it is a matter of national survival. Nigeria has the resources and potential to feed its people but lacks the political will and strategic vision to make this a reality. Tinubu must act now to ensure that no Nigerian goes hungry in a land of plenty.