The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has announced the deployment of 10,000 Agro Rangers across the country. This initiative is aimed at curbing the growing insecurity in the nation’s food-producing regions, which has recently had a detrimental impact on food production.
Olusegun Dada, Special Assistant to President Tinubu on New Media, disclosed this development in a post on his official X handle.
According to the statement, the Agro Rangers initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the NSCDC. The program is designed to protect farmers against the malicious destruction of farmlands and mitigate farmer-herder conflicts.
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 address a major challenge faced by farmers across the country.”
The deployment of Agro Rangers is rooted in earlier plans 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, pending the realization of the long-term solution of state police.
Widespread insecurity, particularly in the northern region, has forced many farmers to abandon their lands, leading to a significant decrease in food production and contributing to rising food prices nationwide. Just last week, attacks on farming communities in Benue State, known as the nation’s food basket, resulted in the tragic deaths of over 20 people.
