Musa Bulama, 48, used to harvest more than 30 bags of maize in previous years, but this year he cannot afford to buy seedlings to plant on his farm. 

“The prices of everything have tripled this year, and the economic hardship makes it worse,” he told HumAngle.

Musa, a resident of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in Northeast Nigeria, has been a farmer for the last 30 years. With a nuclear family of two wives and eleven children, he juggles the demand of farming along side other multiple jobs to make ends meet. 

For years, he was able to provide enough food for his family. However, a recent economic downturn in Nigeria has squeezed his livelihood, leaving him struggling to make ends meet. The financial strain has also fractured his family – his second wife, with whom he has five children, has left him due to the hardship.

“I begged and pleaded, but she left me with the children. There was nothing I could do to convince her to stay,” Musa said.

After harvesting 30 bags of maize last year, Musa sold a few bags and used the money to travel to Lagos in search of menial jobs to support his family. Six months later, he returned to Maiduguri. “Lagos was too big for me. I couldn’t adjust to the life there. My friends helped me to start selling provisions, but it wasn’t successful. The new environment was unfavourable, and I fell sick several times,” Musa said. He described the experience as both adventurous and dangerous. 

He now sells tea and bread on a small scale. “My friends assisted me with some cash,” he said. “With the little work I get from people, I can continue selling tea and bread.”

This year, however, Musa wanted to return to farming – his usual source of income, but he cannot afford the essentials. Last year, he sold some of his properties to buy seedlings, and fertilizers, and pay for labour. “I spent not more than ₦50,000 to cultivate last year, but this year, farming is impossible for me,” he said.

Currently, he has nothing left to sell. Even if he did, the price inflation on agricultural goods and services is double or even triple compared to last year. “I cannot farm; I abandoned the farmland because I cannot afford fertilisers, seedlings, or labour,” Musa lamented.

Musa’s family pressures pushed him into desperate times. Even with his new business as a Mai Shayi (tea and bread seller) at night, and taking up menial jobs in the daytime, he cannot cater to the needs of his 12 family members. “I don’t know what to do. There is no work. I wish I could farm this year to harvest food for my family,” he said.

In 2024, the high cost of seedlings alone has placed many farmers like Musa in a difficult situation, forcing them to abandon farming. Musa estimates he needs about ₦300,000 to carry out farming operations this year. 

“The prices have doubled and even tripled compared to last year,” he expressed.

The infographic shows how seedling prices have changed from 2023 to 2024 in Northeast Nigeria, using data collected from local Nigerian farmers and traders. Chart: Johnstone Kpilaaka

The ongoing price inflation affects others differently. Ramadan Amada, a 43-year-old security guard, works for a private company, but his meagre salary is barely enough to support his family. The economic inflation has also devastated his farming endeavours, which he relied on to supplement his income.

Four years ago, Ramadan turned to farming to complement his salary and provide a better life for his family. However, the soaring costs of seedlings, farm equipment, and other essentials have made it impossible for him to continue. “The little salary I get from my job as a security guard is hardly enough to feed my family, let alone pay for their education and healthcare,” Ramadan explained.

“Farming was my way out, but now it feels like the whole system is against me,” he told HumAngle. 

As a security guard, Ramadan also faces low wages and inadequate benefits. “We have no other options; we stick to the job despite knowing we are underpaid,” he said. “The government needs to do more to support farmers like me and workers in the private sector.”

For Nuhu Mustapha, farming this year was not possible for multiple reasons. The accessible farmlands are not fertile, and the fertile lands are restricted due to insecurity from the Boko Haram conflict. Farmers fear abduction and killings.

As Nuhu toured his barren farmland, he felt a sense of loss. “Even I did not farm this year,” he said. “The high cost of farming items has made it impossible to plant any crops. And with the rainy season shaping up to be as disappointing as last year, I’m losing hope.”

“Soil fertility is also a major concern. We are forced to farm on less fertile land due to the insecurity in the region. It feels like we’re being punished twice; we invest our hard-earned money, but the poor soil and lack of security make it impossible to reap what we sow,” he lamented.

Nuhu stands frustrated and desperate. He has always relied on farming to support himself and his elderly parents, but it seems that lifeline is slipping away. “You put your money into farming and gain nothing. It’s a tough time for us farmers. We need support, or we will be forced to abandon our farms and seek alternative means to survive,” Nuhu expressed, sharing his dissatisfaction over the pressing economic hardships and the prolonged insecurity in the region.

Ahmad Mukhtar, an agricultural extensionist at the University of Maiduguri, attributes the hike in prices of agricultural goods and services to the national removal of fuel subsidy. “The recent hike in prices of seedlings and agricultural essentials is a devastating consequence of the fuel subsidy removal, which has unleashed unprecedented inflationary pressures on Nigerian farmers,” Ahmad told HumAngle. 

He further added, “The astronomical increase in prices has made it impossible for farmers to sustain their farms, leading to abandonment and a looming food security crisis.” 

Commenting on mitigation measures, Ahmad said, “The government must reconsider its policies and provide urgent support to farmers to mitigate the effects of this economic shock.”