President Bola Tinubu has announced a state of emergency concerning food security in Nigeria.
Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, made this revelation to State House Correspondents on Thursday evening after engaging in discussions with key stakeholders in the agricultural sector at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu has also given his approval for all matters related to the availability and affordability of food and water to be considered under the authority of the National Security Council, as they are essential for livelihood.
Subsequently, there will be an immediate distribution of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households in order to alleviate the impact of the removal of subsidies.
Alake stated, “We will promptly distribute fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the consequences of the subsidy removal.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and the utilization of water resources will work together to ensure sufficient irrigation of farmlands and the continuous availability of food throughout the year as a united front.
“As a nation, Mr. President has made it clear that we no longer find seasonal farming acceptable. We can no longer afford to experience farming downtime.”
The Presidential aide clarified that the Federal Government will collaborate with states in establishing ranches, provided there are willing parties who can provide land. According to him, the ranches will have dedicated sections as grazing reserves.
“We will establish ranches in coordination with state governments, and the federal government will bear the cost of the land,” he explained.
Alake elaborated that the FG will activate land banks nationwide, which are currently mapped at 500,000 hectares, “in order to increase the availability of arable land for farming, which will have an immediate impact on food production.”