The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, has urged the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, to remain steadfast in the discharge of his legislative responsibilities and disregard what he described as distractions from sponsored critics and misleading commentary.

In a statement signed by AFAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Garba, Dr Mudi stressed that the current legislative cycle must prioritise agriculture and agribusiness as central pillars of national economic policy.

The remarks followed the conferment of the “Legislative Farmers’ Father” award on Kalu at the General Assembly of the Farmers Congress, recently held in Abuja.

According to Dr Mudi, the recognition reflects growing confidence in the Deputy Speaker’s leadership and commitment to the agricultural sector. He urged Kalu to approach Nigeria’s food security challenges with renewed urgency, noting that fluctuating commodity prices — driven by climate change and shifting demand-supply dynamics — have destabilised agricultural markets nationwide.

He added that the rising cost of farm inputs has weakened agricultural value chains, exposing farmers to significant losses and threatening overall productivity.

Dr Mudi reaffirmed AFAN’s readiness to work closely with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, saying the association’s nationwide structure could play a key role in disseminating accurate and timely information on agricultural policies. Such collaboration, he said, would reduce uncertainty and improve efficiency across farming communities.

The AFAN president also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify government intervention in the sector through targeted subsidies for farm inputs, tractors, and mechanised equipment. He lamented that post-harvest losses remain unacceptably high, with millions of metric tonnes of produce wasted during the last farming season — a development he warned could undermine farmer incomes and national food security.

Dr Mudi cautioned against indiscriminate import waivers and the influx of cheaper foreign produce, arguing that such practices often depress local prices, discourage domestic investment, and slow rural development. While acknowledging the administration’s increased budgetary allocations to agriculture, livestock, and poultry, he stressed that stable policies and adequate protection for local producers are critical for sustainable growth.

He also decried the multiple levies imposed by some state and local governments on agricultural haulage, describing them as cost-inflating measures that worsen uncertainty in an already fragile market affected by currency volatility.

Encouraging AFAN members to leverage their growing partnership with the Deputy Speaker’s office, Dr Mudi said the sector must now focus on practical, market-driven ideas capable of repositioning agriculture as a major revenue source for the country — second only to oil and gas.

He expressed confidence that with strong legislative backing and strategic collaboration, Nigeria’s agricultural sector could be transformed from a subsistence-driven system into a competitive, investment-led powerhouse.