By Diana Tenebe, Chief Operating Officer, Foodstuff Store

Nigeria, often dubbed the “Giant of Africa,” possesses immense agricultural potential. With vast arable land and a predominantly agrarian population, the nation could easily achieve food security and become a major player in global food markets. However, this promising future remains largely untapped, held hostage by two formidable challenges: pervasive insecurity and a severe deficit in rural infrastructure. Addressing these twin issues is not merely an economic imperative but a matter of national survival and prosperity.

The escalating insecurity across many parts of Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt, has dealt a crippling blow to agricultural productivity. Benue State, famously known as the “Food Basket of the Nation” due to its rich soil and significant contributions to Nigeria’s food production, provides a stark and tragic illustration of this crisis. Recent events in Benue underscore the devastating impact of unchecked violence on farming communities.

In June 2025, horrifying attacks in Yelewata in Benue State claimed the lives of dozens, with reports suggesting the death toll could be over a hundred. Families have been displaced, their homes razed, and their farmlands abandoned. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported over 500,000 registered Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State as of 2024, a number that continues to rise.

The economic ramifications of this violence are profound. Farmers, fearing for their lives and livelihoods, are unable to cultivate their lands during critical planting seasons. Crops are destroyed, storage facilities are razed, and market access is severely hampered. A recent study revealed that a one percent increase in insecurity leads to a 0.211% and 0.311% decrease in crop and livestock output respectively in Benue State. The state, which accounts for over 51% of Nigeria’s yam production and is a leading producer of cassava, rice, and soybeans, is witnessing a drastic reduction in its agricultural output. This directly fuels food inflation, pushing millions deeper into hunger and poverty. The once vibrant agricultural landscape of Benue is now characterised by fear, abandonment, and immense losses.

Beyond the immediate human and economic toll, insecurity erodes trust in government and institutions, making it difficult to implement any meaningful agricultural development programs. Farmers are reluctant to invest in their farms due to the uncertainties attributed to insecurities. This cycle of violence and despair starves the nation of its most fundamental resource: food.

However, even if insecurity were to magically disappear, Nigeria’s agricultural sector would still face an uphill battle without significant investment in rural infrastructure. Rural areas, where the vast majority of agricultural activities take place, are largely underserved by basic amenities. Poor road networks make it incredibly difficult and expensive for farmers to transport their produce to markets, leading to significant post-harvest losses. Lack of access to reliable electricity hinders processing and storage, further diminishing the value of agricultural products. Limited access to irrigation facilities means farmers remain heavily dependent on erratic rainfall, making them vulnerable to climate change.

The symbiotic relationship between curbing insecurity and investing in rural infrastructure cannot be overstated. A secured environment provides the foundation for infrastructure development, allowing construction projects to proceed without fear of attack or sabotage. Improved infrastructure, such as good roads, can facilitate quicker deployment of security forces to troubled areas, enhancing response times and potentially deterring attacks.

Investment in rural infrastructure is a catalyst for agricultural transformation. It reduces transportation costs, increases market access for farmers, and encourages value addition through processing. Cold storage facilities, for instance, can drastically reduce post-harvest losses, while improved irrigation systems can boost yields and enable year-round farming. Rural electrification can power small and medium-scale agro-allied industries, creating employment opportunities and diversifying rural economies. Access to information and communication technology, even in remote areas, can connect farmers to market information, modern farming techniques, and financial services.

To unlock Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential, a comprehensive and integrated approach is essential. This begins with establishing a robust security architecture to protect farming communities. The government must prioritize this through increased deployment of security personnel, fostering community-led intelligence gathering, implementing effective conflict resolution mechanisms, and ensuring swift justice for perpetrators of violence. It’s also crucial to address the root causes of farmer-herder conflicts, such as land disputes and resource scarcity, by promoting equitable land governance and establishing designated grazing reserves.

At the same time, massive investment in rural infrastructure is imperative. A national strategy focusing on rural development should prioritize constructing and rehabilitating feeder roads to connect farms directly to markets. This also includes providing reliable electricity through both grid expansion and sustainable renewable energy solutions, developing modern irrigation schemes, and establishing efficient storage and processing facilities. To bridge the significant funding gap in these areas, public-private partnerships should be actively encouraged.

Immediate support for displaced farmers is also critical. For communities, particularly those in states like Benue who have been displaced by violence, urgent assistance is needed to help them return to their ancestral lands and resume their farming activities. This support should encompass providing essential resources such as seedlings, fertilizers, and financial aid, alongside much-needed psychosocial support.

A successful transformation hinges on policy coherence and implementation. There must be a strong political will to effectively implement existing agricultural policies and to create new ones that are responsive to current challenges. This includes vital areas such as land reforms, ensuring easier access to credit for smallholder farmers, and strengthening agricultural extension services.

Nigeria’s agricultural sector is a sleeping giant, capable of feeding the nation and driving economic growth. However, until the twin scourges of insecurity and infrastructural deficit are decisively tackled, its immense potential will remain largely unrealized. The tragic narrative in Benue State serves as a poignant reminder that the path to agricultural prosperity in Nigeria begins with peace and the foundational investments that empower those who feed the nation.

Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced a major boost to the national electricity grid with the addition of 5,910 megavolt-amperes (MVA) of transformer capacity.

The development was disclosed by the General Manager of Project Coordination and Technical Assistant to the Managing Director/CEO, Aminu Tahir, during a presentation on ongoing initiatives under the company’s Project Management Unit (PMU).

Tahir noted that the projects were being funded by major international partners, including the World Bank, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the African Development Bank (AFDB), while procurement processes for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-supported projects in Lagos and Ogun states were nearing completion.

According to him, several projects under the PMU have already been completed, while others are nearing completion, with some at about 80 percent progress.

He confirmed that the initiatives have “significantly boosted the national grid, with an additional 5,910 MVA of transformer capacity as of date.”

In a related development, TCN confirmed the successful restoration of bulk power supply nationwide via the Kainji–Birnin Kebbi 330kV transmission line.

The power line was re-energised at approximately 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday after emergency repair work was completed.

The line had experienced major disruptions following the collapse of three transmission towers due to a windstorm on May 7.

While emergency reconstruction was ongoing, another windstorm brought down three additional towers in Galadima Village, Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State. In response, TCN mobilised multiple contractors to fast-track repairs.

“Work was done day and night, in conjunction with our supervising engineers, to ensure the quick restoration of the line,” said Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, in a statement.

She expressed appreciation for the patience and understanding shown by affected communities during the restoration period.

Mbah reaffirmed the company’s commitment to ensuring the efficient and reliable transmission of bulk electricity to distribution load centres across the country.

DStv, owned by MultiChoice, has lost far more subscribers in South Africa in the last two years than it appears from its reporting, according to Moneyweb.

According to the group, its “active” subscriber base declined from eight million on 31 March 2023 to seven million on 31 March 2025.

The drop in subscribers accelerated from 400 000 in the prior year to 600 000 last year.

However, this is only the specific number of active customers on that date.

DStv is very aggressive in ensuring that customers are active at the end of March each year (and at the end of September) given its financial reporting.

It introduced a new metric in FY21 which measures customers who had an active subscription at any point within the 90 days before the reporting date.

On this measure, its base dropped from 9.3 million in March 2023 to 7.9 million in March 2025, equal to 1.4 million.

The declines are across the board in its premium, mid-market and mass market segment, but the first two are leading with drops of 22% to 23% each.

The premium segment includes the Premium and Compact Plus packages, while mid-market comprises its Compact and Commercial packages.

The mass market segment has seen an 11% decrease in subscribers over the last two years.

In its rest of Africa business, the decline on the 90-day active metric is even worse. Here, the number of subscribers has dropped from 14.2 million in March 2023 to 10.7 million in March 2025.

This is a 25% decline, or 3.5 million subscribers. In this business, the premium segment is flat over two years, mid-market is down 14% and mass market by 29%.

Its business in Nigeria continues to battle currency devaluation, with its share of subscription revenue across the African operations dropping from 44% in FY23 to just 26% in FY25.

In rand terms, subscription revenue in Nigeria is down from R9.1 billion two years ago to R3.5 billion now.

The group took a R2.8 billion foreign exchange hit in Nigeria, with the naira depreciating 44%.

This, coupled with other forex impacts, saw its R1.3 billion reported trading profit in Africa swing to a R800 million loss.

Somehow it tries to illustrate a R2.3 billion “organic” profit, before the currency impacts.

Price increases (averages of 5.6% in 2023 and 5.7% in 2024) were not enough to offset the subscriber declines.

Subscription revenue in South Africa has declined from R27.3 billion in FY23 to R25.7 billion in the year to end March 2025.

Not only is the macro-economic environment weighing on consumers, it also highlights the impact of “piracy, streaming options and social media”.