The time of arbitrary levies will soon be over if the 36 state governors walk their talk concerning dismantling illegal checkpoints across the country. In a recent meeting with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and some other key stakeholders in Abuja, the governors decried the numerous illegal checkpoints and diverse levies in the country.
They posited that the proliferation of these checkpoints, illegal levies and poor infrastructure are major factors contributing to high food inflation in Nigeria. What usually happens is that security agents on the roads extort money from those transporting the food items from one part of the country to another. The transporters have no option but to add the cost to the end users. The governors agreed to work closely with the Federal Government to harmonise levies, eliminate illegal checkpoints and enhance the movement of goods across the states. The belief is that if the initiative is well implemented, it will reduce the rising prices of food items in the country.
Tackling rising insecurity will also bring down the high cost of food items. Following frequent attacks by some terrorists, many farmers have abandoned their farms. Some of them have been killed and millions of others displaced and abandoned to their fate. In the past three months, some communities in Plateau and Benue states were the major targets of these terrorists who invaded them, killed hundreds of innocent citizens and displaced millions of others.
This has impacted the cost of food items in the country. In Borno State, the epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency, year-on-year inflation rate for May 2025 was 64.36 per cent. This was said to be the highest food inflation rate in the country. At 39.85 per cent, Bayelsa had the second highest food inflation rate while Taraba came third with 38.58 per cent. The flooding disaster in some parts of the country is also part of the problem. The most recent one occurred in Mokwa, Niger State. It led to the death of hundreds of people and the displacement of over 3,000 others. Key roads and bridges were damaged.
The worst is the sliding value of the naira and the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023. The high cost of fuel and exchange rate has had a spiral effect on the cost of other commodities in the market. A routine visit to the market will reveal that the prices of most items like yam, cassava, pepper, tomatoes and maize are quite high. Available statistics indicate that food inflation has drained the income of many families. This is notwithstanding the technical drop in the year-on-year national average from 40.66 per cent in May 2024 to 21.14 per cent in May 2025. The drop is as a result of the change in the base year. Nevertheless, the month-on-month rate rose to 2.19 per cent in May 2025 from 2.06 per cent in April.
Incidentally, the United Nations (UN), in a recent Hunger Hotspot report, listed Nigeria and 12 other countries as hunger hotspots of the world. Among the lot, Nigeria is in the list of the four countries in the hotspot of high concern that require urgent attention to save lives and livelihoods. Other countries in this category are Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar. The NSA reportedly said a high-level inter-ministerial committee had been established to address concerns about food insecurity and the committee had submitted its recommendations for the endorsement of the Governors Forum.
Beyond endorsing the committee’s report, the governors should map out other programmes that will increase food production. We have arable land to grow enough food for our population and even for exports. We also have facilities for fishing and animal husbandry. We have the expertise and human resources to grow our own food. They should prioritize mechanized agriculture and intensified food production. We can copy the agricultural models of other countries that have achieved food sufficiency and food security.
The Federal Government should initiate the restructuring of the polity to ensure that the sub-nationals are given more responsibilities in solving internal security issues and invariably improving food security. With state police, for instance, the governors should be able to take full charge of security in their states. The era of mounting roadblocks to collect illegal levies by the central police has to stop. What the police need in this day and age is technology-driven intelligence network that will be more effective in dealing with criminals than checkpoints of extortion.
Additionally, the FG should ensure that it equips our soldiers adequately to be able to face terrorists killing farmers and causing serious food insecurity in the country. Farmers must be protected if farming activities should continue. The government should also establish fiscal measures to intentionally shore up the value of the naira. It should deliberately curb food inflation with some policies that will improve the living conditions of Nigerians.