The 50 percent fertiliser subsidy in Borno is a well-intentioned step, but its effectiveness depends heavily on whether the government can prevent the leakage that often plagues such distribution schemes. While cheaper inputs certainly lower production costs for farmers, they do not address the root causes of our food crisis, which are tied more to persistent insecurity in the farming belt and poor road networks that keep food prices artificially high. In my view, subsidies are a useful stopgap, but they cannot be a substitute for long-term investments in rural infrastructure and peacebuilding. Unless the government prioritizes securing farmlands and creating efficient supply chains to move produce to markets, these subsidies might only offer temporary relief rather than a permanent fix to our national food insecurity. Balancing both immediate support and systemic reform is likely the only way to see a sustainable impact on the prices we see at the market.