10,000 Agro-rangers to Patrol Farms in 19 States, the FCT to Combat Insecurity
According to a statement by the presidency, the agro-rangers initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) noting that agro rangers will help protect farmers against malicious destruction of farmlands as well as farmer herder conflict.
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 solve a major challenge faced by farmers across the country.
The deployment of agro-rangers stems from earlier plans by the federal government through the National Economic Council (NEC) in February this year to establish agro-rangers as a short-term solution to the insecurity in the country pending when the long-term solution of state police is achieved.
Meanwhile, food inflation has surged to 40.87% as at July this year mostly occasioned by insecurity in the north west and north east of Nigeria.