Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of effectively exporting agricultural jobs by allowing Nigeria to remain largely a supplier of raw farm produce instead of encouraging domestic processing.
Atiku said the continued export of commodities such as cocoa beans and cashew nuts without sufficient value addition meant that processing, packaging and manufacturing jobs that could benefit Nigerians were being created abroad.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku cited agricultural trade figures showing a reversal from a N740.27 billion surplus in the first half of 2025 to a N56.13 billion deficit in the corresponding period of 2026.
Agricultural exports, he noted, fell by 33.3 per cent during the period.
“We grow the crop. Someone else does more of the processing, builds a business around it and earns the larger return,” Atiku said.
He blamed insecurity, high transportation costs and expensive manufacturing conditions for weakening the capacity of farmers and processors to compete.
According to him, increased domestic processing of cocoa, cashew and other commodities would retain more value in Nigeria while generating jobs in manufacturing, packaging, storage, transportation and export logistics.
“What has his administration done to make it safer to farm, cheaper to move produce, easier to keep a processing plant running or more profitable to sell a finished Nigerian product abroad?” he asked.
Atiku linked the argument to his proposed production subsidy for locally refined petroleum products, saying the same principle should apply across the economy.
He said his approach would prioritise domestic production and value addition, declaring: “Grow it here. Process it here. Refine it here. Create the jobs here.”
