Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government over the sharp deterioration in Nigeria’s agricultural trade balance, urging the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take stronger measures to protect farmers and manufacturers.
Atiku’s position was conveyed on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, amid fresh data showing a significant decline in agricultural export earnings.
According to an analysis of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) foreign trade data, Nigeria’s agricultural trade balance moved from a ₦740.27 billion surplus in the first half of 2025 to a ₦56.13 billion deficit in the corresponding period of 2026.
That represents a reversal of ₦796.40 billion within one year.
Agricultural exports also fell by 33.3 per cent, declining from about ₦2.96 trillion in the first half of 2025 to ₦1.98 trillion during the same period in 2026.
Reacting to the figures, Atiku said the development should concern a government seeking to diversify Nigeria’s economy and reduce dependence on crude oil.
He argued that farmers were being undermined by insecurity, while manufacturers faced high production costs that made it increasingly difficult to process agricultural commodities locally and create additional value.
The former vice president said the problem extended beyond declining export earnings, contending that insecurity in farming communities was weakening agricultural production while high operating costs were placing additional pressure on businesses involved in processing and manufacturing.
“Tinubu cannot call this reform when the people who grow our food and the businesses that should process it are being squeezed from both sides,” Atiku said in the statement.
He called on the Federal Government to strengthen security in farming communities, improve access to agricultural financing and create conditions that would encourage manufacturers to invest in local value addition.
Atiku’s intervention comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenge of translating its substantial agricultural production base into stronger non-oil export earnings.
The latest figures indicate that although agriculture remains a major component of Nigeria’s external trade, the country’s agricultural export performance has weakened considerably. Nairametrics’ analysis of NBS data showed that agricultural imports declined by a smaller 8.5 per cent over the same period, leaving exports to bear the larger share of the deterioration.
The development also raises questions about the effectiveness of current policies aimed at boosting non-oil exports, particularly at a time when the government is seeking to attract investment, expand domestic production and strengthen the naira through increased foreign-exchange earnings.
Atiku urged the administration to treat the figures as a warning and take practical steps to protect agricultural production, improve infrastructure and reduce the cost of doing business.
The former vice president has repeatedly criticised Tinubu’s economic policies, making the latest intervention part of the broader political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election.