Rising petrol prices in Nigeria are triggering fresh warnings from farmers and civil society groups, who say the development could drive food prices higher and deepen the cost-of-living crisis.
The concerns follow a surge in global crude prices linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has pushed up the local pump price of petrol. Farmers say the increase threatens agricultural production, transport costs and food supply across the country.
The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mohammed Magaji, urged the Federal Government to ensure fuel remains available and affordable for farmers.
Magaji said petrol plays a central role in farming operations, including powering irrigation pumps and transporting produce from farms to markets.
“The ongoing energy crisis will affect the cost of food production because farmers use petrol to power water pumping engines,” he said.
He warned that if fuel prices remain high without government intervention, both farmers and consumers will feel the impact.
“If this continues, farming activities will suffer because transportation costs will rise, and food prices will definitely increase,” he added.
Similar concerns were raised by the Federal Capital Territory chapter of AFAN. Its chairman, Dr Nkechi Okafor, said higher fuel prices would inevitably push up the cost of food.
“The number one implication is that food prices will increase because of transportation fares,” she said, adding that farmers already face high input costs and weak returns on their produce.
Agribusiness operators also predict that the full impact of the fuel hike may soon become visible in food markets.
Sandra Victor-Gwafan, chief executive of DeBranch Farmers Limited, said transport costs play a major role in Nigeria’s food supply chain. Most food items are moved by road from rural communities to cities, making the sector highly sensitive to fuel price changes.
“When fuel prices increase, transporters raise their fares, and traders pass those costs on to consumers,” she said.
Victor-Gwafan also noted that many farmers rely on petrol generators for processing, storage and market activities because electricity supply remains unreliable.
Jeremiah Olanrewaju, team lead at JetFarmsNG, said rising fuel costs affect every stage of the food value chain.
According to him, higher logistics and energy costs mean farmers may earn less while consumers pay more. Some smallholder farmers may even reduce farm size or delay planting because of rising expenses.
Experts are calling on the government to act quickly through measures such as transport support for agricultural goods, improved access to farm inputs and investment in renewable energy for rural farming communities.
