Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, raised the alarm over the escalating smuggling of agricultural produce from Nigeria to neighbouring countries, warning of the grave consequences to the country’s food security and sovereignty.
 
The group said the call to action was in response to recent revelations by Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, that Nigeria’s food is being smuggled out due to the significant disparity in value between the naira and the CFA.
  
AbdulRazaq, who is also the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), said: “We have noted that food in Nigeria is the cheapest in West Africa, and our neighbours are using our food to trade. They are taking our soybean and other stuff to make foreign exchange for themselves.”
  
National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned the perceived systemic failure within Nigeria’s Immigration and border security apparatus, due to the inability to check smuggling of vital resources.

The organisation asserted that the illicit trade not only deprives Nigerians of essential food items but also exacerbates food scarcity and inflation. 

“As a human rights advocacy group deeply committed to the welfare of Nigerians, we express profound concern about the detrimental impact of this illicit trade on vulnerable segments of the population. The porous state of Nigeria’s borders has become a glaring vulnerability undermining the government’s ability to uphold territorial integrity. 

 
“We emphasise that a nation unable to secure its borders compromises its sovereignty and risks being classified as a failed state. Nigeria’s porous borders have become conduits for various illegal activities, including smuggling, human trafficking and arms proliferation, posing significant threats to national security and stability,” HURIWA stated.
  
The group also reiterated its longstanding call for immediate action to fortify Nigeria’s borders, particularly the porous areas vulnerable to illicit activities. 
   
It advocated the implementation of comprehensive measures, including physical barriers and technological surveillance systems, to effectively monitor and control border movements, stressing that securing the nation’s borders is essential not only for preventing external threats but also for curbing internal disruptions and safeguarding the well-being of Nigerian citizens.
   
HURIWA urged the Nigerian government to take decisive action to address the systemic challenges undermining the nation’s food security and sovereignty. The association further called for increased investment in border security infrastructure, enhanced collaboration with neighbouring countries to combat cross-border crimes and the strict enforcement of laws against smuggling and illicit trade.