The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has announced the deployment of 10,000 agro rangers throughout the country.
This is part of an effort to reduce instability in the country’s food-producing belt, which has recently had a negative influence on food output.
This was disclosed by the Special Assistant to President Tinubu on New Media, Olusegun Dada via a post on his official X handle.
According to the statement, the agro-rangers initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which aims at protecting farmers from malicious destruction of farmlands and farmer-herder conflict.
The post reads, “As part of ongoing efforts to enhance food security in the Northern region and other parts of the country, the FG through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps(NSCDC) has deployed over 10,000 Agro Rangers across 19 states and the FCT.
“The Agro Rangers will, among other things; safeguard farmlands and protect farmers from escalating attacks, mediate conflicts between farmers and herders, and prevent malicious destruction of farmlands. While the food inflation crisis in the country is a function of many factors, insecurity has been a long-term challenge and this collaboration between the NSCDC and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is expected to solve a major challenge faced by farmers across the country.”
The deployment of agro-rangers follows earlier intentions by the federal government through the National Economic Council (NEC) in February of this year to establish agro-rangers as a short-term solution to the country’s insecurity until the long-term solution of state police is realized.
Widespread insecurity, particularly in the northern region, has pushed many farmers to abandon their holdings, resulting in a considerable drop in food output and contributing to soaring food prices across the country. Just last week, attacks on farming communities in Benue State, renowned as the country’s food basket, resulted in the terrible deaths of nearly 20 people.
Food inflation reached 40.87% in July 2024. In response, the federal government has proposed the establishment of state police units. This idea, however, cannot be executed only through presidential directives or by an act of parliament from the National Assembly, even though the law to establish state police has already passed its second reading.
