To address the escalating food inflation crisis in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has ordered a state of emergency on food security and unveiled a series of prompt measures aimed at guaranteeing food availability and affordability for all citizens.
At a media briefing on Thursday, Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, laid out the details of the presidential intervention on food security, food pricing, and sustainability.
Recognizing the impact of skyrocketing food prices on ordinary Nigerians, he stated that President Tinubu has made supporting the most vulnerable members of society a top priority.
According to him, the President’s immediate response entails the declaration of a state of emergency on food security and the inclusion of food and water availability and affordability within the purview of the National Security Council.
To tackle the crisis, he outlined a range of initiatives that will be implemented in the coming weeks, addressing both short-term and long-term interventions.
He stated, “As a hands-on leader who follows developments across the country every day, Mr. President is aware of the rising cost of food and its impact on the citizens.
“While availability is not an issue, affordability has become a major concern for many Nigerians in all parts of the country. This has resulted in a significant decrease in demand, undermining the viability of the entire agriculture and food value chain.
“Therefore, in line with this administration’s stance on ensuring support for the most vulnerable, Mr. President has declared the following actions with immediate effect:
“That a state of emergency on food security be announced immediately, and
that all matters concerning food & water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National Security Council.
“As a direct and immediate response to this crisis, a number of initiatives will be deployed in the coming weeks to reverse this inflationary trend and ensure future uninterrupted supplies of affordable foods for ordinary Nigerians.
“As with most emergencies, there are immediate, medium, and long-term interventions and solutions.
In the short term, Alake stated that the government plans to allocate funds previously saved from fuel subsidy removal to revitalize the agricultural sector, with a focus on increasing productivity.
Alake unveiled the immediate intervention strategies, stating, “We will promptly distribute fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.”
In addition, Alake mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources will collaborate to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands, facilitating year-round food production and eliminating seasonal farming.
To stabilize food prices, he said a National Commodity Board, comprising various stakeholders from the agricultural sector, will be established.
According to him, this board will continually assess food prices and maintain a strategic food reserve to act as a mechanism for stabilizing prices for critical grains and other food items.
Ensuring the safety of farmers and farmlands is a priority, and the government will work with the security architecture to protect them from attacks, enabling them to carry out their work without fear, the presidential spokesperson said.
He stated that the Central Bank will continue to play a significant role in funding the agricultural value chain, while land banks will be activated to increase the availability of arable land for farming.
He added that mechanization companies will be engaged to clear more forests and make them suitable for farming purposes.
In addition, river basins will be utilized to enable crop planting during the dry season through irrigation schemes, ensuring continuous farming production throughout the year and addressing seasonal scarcity.
Regarding transportation and storage challenges, Alake mentioned that alternative means of transportation, such as rail and water transport, will be explored to reduce freight costs.
He added that existing warehouses and storage facilities will be revamped to improve efficiency and minimize food waste.
He further explained that President Tinubu’s administration aims not only to ensure food security but also to stimulate the export capacity of the agricultural sector, increasing revenue and creating job opportunities.
The presidential spokesperson also mentioned that the Nigerian Customs has pledged to remove trade facilitation bottlenecks, enabling smoother transportation, storage, and export of food items.
Alake emphasized the importance of these interventions, stating, “One of the major positive outcomes of these interventions will be a significant boost in employment and job creation.”
With agriculture already accounting for approximately 35.21 percent of employment in Nigeria, he said the government aims to double this percentage in the long term, creating between 5 to 10 million additional jobs within the agricultural value chain.
He said President Tinubu’s administration recognizes the critical role of food and water in the well-being of Nigerians and urges all citizens to support the success of these strategic interventions.
He reassured that the government remains committed to ensuring that no household struggles with their essential needs, as President Tinubu works diligently to efficiently and effectively implement all necessary interventions.