Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has sparked outrage among X users for declaring a 3-day fasting and prayer program to address the nation’s food security crisis, a move widely criticized as a misplaced priority, especially in light of the ministry’s role in the 2025 budget padding scandal. The leaked memo, mandating staff to fast and pray for divine intervention, was suspended after public uproar, with X users like @olajideobe calling it a “joke” and @SamuelOmogor noting it reflects Nigeria’s governance hitting “rock bottom.”
The backlash is amplified by the ministry’s bloated 2025 budget, which surged from N242.5 billion to N1.95 trillion after the National Assembly inserted 4,371 projects worth N1.72 trillion, many unrelated to its mandate. BudgIT’s May 2025 report exposed frivolous allocations, such as N100 million for hairdresser training and N350 million for a health insurance scheme in Bayelsa West, tasks far removed from agricultural priorities.
Financial analyst Kalu Aja (@FinPlanKaluAja1) criticized these as “uncoordinated waste,” highlighting a N100 million hairdresser training project as emblematic of misallocated resources amid 30% food inflation.
X users, including @_lukmanB, mocked the ministry’s pivot to prayer after “years of looting, poor policy, and zero accountability,” arguing that practical investments in irrigation, storage, and mechanization—capable of addressing the projected 33.1 million Nigerians facing food insecurity in 2025—are neglected. The N636.08 billion allocated to agriculture, only 2% of the N54.99 trillion budget, falls short of the 10% pledged by African leaders in 2014, fueling perceptions of insensitivity.
Nigerians view the fasting initiative as tone-deaf, with @DaisiOmokungbe accusing the ministry of prioritizing symbolic gestures over actionable reforms, especially when padded budgets enrich elites while farmers struggle. The controversy underscores a broader governance crisis, where misplaced priorities and fiscal opacity undermine efforts to combat hunger and economic instability.
Leave a comment