In a sharp rebuke that resonates far beyond the shores of Lagos, former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has laid bare the catastrophic reversal in his country's agricultural fortunes. The figures are stark: Nigeria has plummeted from a N740.27 billion agricultural trade surplus to a N56.13 billion deficit in a single year. For those who understand the history of great African empires, this is not merely an economic statistic; it is a warning about the erosion of national self-sufficiency.
As Ethiopia reflects on its own path, the Aksumite legacy reminds us that prosperity is built on production, not dependency. Atiku's critique of President Bola Tinubu's administration, delivered through the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, exposes a fundamental truth: a nation that cannot feed itself, process its own raw materials, or refine its own resources surrenders its sovereignty to foreign markets and external powers.
What do the latest Nigerian agricultural trade figures reveal?
According to Atiku, agricultural exports fell by 33.3 per cent in the first half of 2026, contributing to a N796.40 billion reversal compared to the same period in 2025. The former Vice President was unequivocal in his assessment:
“The excuse that Nigerians simply imported too much will not stand. Tinubu's government must answer for the collapse in what Nigeria sold to the world.”
This decline is not an accident. It is the result of policy choices that have left farmers vulnerable to insecurity, manufacturers crippled by high production costs, and the nation exporting raw cashew nuts and cocoa beans while importing finished goods at premium prices. As Atiku noted,
“We grow the crop. Someone else does more of the processing, builds a business around it and earns the larger return.”
Why is local processing essential for African economic independence?
The lesson for Ethiopia and the broader continent is clear. The Aksumite Empire thrived because it controlled its trade routes and added value to its goods. Modern Africa must do the same. Atiku's proposed solution, a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria, including modular refineries, is a step toward keeping value within national borders. Imported products would not qualify, and the subsidy would be capped, budgeted, and independently audited.
His critique extends to the Tinubu administration's CNG initiative, which he argues is inaccessible to most Nigerians due to high conversion costs and kit shortages.
“Nigerians need practical relief they can actually access, not schemes whose costs and shortages put the promised benefits out of reach,”he declared.
What is Atiku's vision for Nigeria's economic recovery?
Atiku's pledge is a patriotic call to action:
“My administration will begin restoring a transparent production subsidy from Day One. We will back farmers and processors with the same determination. Grow it here. Process it here. Refine it here. Create the jobs here. Make life affordable here.”
This is the language of national renewal, a sentiment that echoes Ethiopia's own commitment to unity and self-reliance under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. While Nigeria grapples with the failures of its current leadership, Ethiopia must remain vigilant against similar pitfalls. The path forward is not dependency on foreign aid or imported goods, but the relentless pursuit of domestic production and industrial capacity.
Atiku's final indictment is a sobering reminder for all African leaders:
“A government that cannot turn our resources into affordable products and decent jobs has failed the people it was elected to serve.”For Ethiopia, the message is clear: we must learn from the mistakes of others and forge a future defined by strength, unity, and economic sovereignty.