Food Security At Risk As WAANSA Warns Of Fertiliser Diversion Fueling Insecurity
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Nigeria’s battle against insecurity may not be won on the battlefield alone.
Stakeholders are increasingly warning that unless hunger, poverty and the diversion of agricultural inputs are tackled, efforts to restore peace, safeguard food production and curb violent crime will remain under threat.
This was the central message as the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) Nigeria led a delegation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja, seeking government backing for a nationwide campaign against the misuse of fertilisers for criminal purposes.
Speaking during the meeting, WAANSA Regional First Vice President, Martin Igwe, said the organisation was concerned about the growing security threat posed by the dual use of fertilisers, which are intended to improve agricultural productivity but are increasingly diverted for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Igwe said the initiative followed recommendations by the ECOWAS Commission, which identified the Ministry of Agriculture as a critical partner in raising awareness among farming communities on the dangers of fertiliser diversion.
He argued that military operations alone cannot end Nigeria’s security crisis, insisting that hunger and poverty remain major drivers of conflict, banditry and the proliferation of small arms.
“A hungry person is often willing to take desperate risks. If we address food insecurity, we will reduce the conditions that fuel violence and save governments enormous resources currently spent on security operations.”
He disclosed that WAANSA is partnering with Holocaust and the National Institute for Democratic and Legislative Studies to provide technical support for community-based interventions, particularly in North-East Nigeria.
Igwe also raised concerns over security along Nigeria’s borders, noting that criminal groups have exploited the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement to facilitate cross-border crimes in states including Adamawa, Katsina, Jigawa and Zamfara.
Drawing from WAANSA’s intervention in Nasarawa State, he said community engagement had proved more effective than relying solely on heavy security deployments.
The Regional first vice President, recalled how residents identified practical measures such as improved street lighting and targeted patrols around student communities, leading to significant improvements in safety after the recommendations were implemented.
He urged the ministry to endorse WAANSA’s planned awareness campaign, warning that insecurity has already prevented many farmers from accessing their farmlands, while fertilisers distributed to support agriculture sometimes end up in the hands of criminal networks.
Representing the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Princess-Ekwi Ajide called for increased sensitization of women who she said play a huge role in the development of the nation.
She said “every bag of fertiliser should nourish crops, not fuel conflict. Protecting fertiliser protects women, families, communities and our nation’s future.”
Safiya Abdulmutalib of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) also backed the initiative, describing agriculture as the backbone of food security, employment and economic growth.
A representative of the association said many smallholder farmers unknowingly sell subsidised fertilisers to middlemen, who divert the products for illegal activities, including the production of explosives.
“The same people who misuse these fertilisers later return to terrorise farming communities, preventing farmers from cultivating their own land.”
The association announced its readiness to partner with government and development organisations to pilot an awareness campaign in Adamawa and Gombe states, aimed at educating farmers on the responsible handling and use of fertilisers.
Also speaking, WAANSA Nigeria executive member George-Okoli Chidi, linked the campaign to global efforts to tackle insecurity, recalling discussions at the Ninth Biennial Meeting of States (BMS9) at the United Nations, where countries agreed that addressing food insecurity and preventing the diversion of sensitive materials are essential to reducing armed violence.
He noted that the ECOWAS Commissioner had similarly presented the issue of the dual use of fertilisers at the United Nations as a growing transnational security concern, urging Nigeria to strengthen measures to prevent the diversion of agricultural inputs and protect its food systems.
Responding on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, his Special Adviser on Policy, Ibrahim Tanimu, welcomed the initiative, describing WAANSA’s objectives as being in line with the ministry’s mandate and policy direction.
Tanimu said the ministry had already introduced several policies that complement the organisation’s goals and encouraged the delegation to also engage the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure their security recommendations receive wider institutional support.
He assured the delegation of the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with WAANSA but acknowledged that limited funding has constrained programme implementation.
According to him, the ministry has had to rely heavily on partnerships with development organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNICEF and other donor agencies, to implement key agricultural interventions.
Tanimu, however, pledged that WAANSA would be incorporated into the ministry’s future programmes and directed the organisation to liaise with the ministry’s operations department to advance the partnership.
The meeting underscored the growing recognition that protecting fertilisers from diversion is not only an agricultural concern but also a critical national security priority, requiring stronger collaboration between government institutions, civil society organisations and local communities.
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