From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Senate on Tuesday, passed a motion, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to introduce the Nigerian version of the Food Stamps programme as an interim interventionist measure to cushion the effects of food shortage in the country.
The upper legislative chamber, also mandated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to liaise with development partners and other relevant stakeholders, like the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, which introduced Temporary Food Assistance Programme (TEFAP), few years ago, with a view to working out practicable templates and implementable modalities for the actualisation of the programme.
The resolutions were sequel to a motion, “Introduction of food stamps in Nigeria as an interim measure to address imminent food insecurity in the country.”
The motion was sponsored by Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Ali Ndume. It was co-sponsored by Saliu Mustapha.
Presenting his motion, Ndume noted that at the unveiling of the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé Analysis on food insecurity, it was projected that in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people, grappling with high level of food insecurity.
He further said “the reason for the above projection is not far-fetched, as several indicators, which include but not limited to the ongoing conflicts across the country, climate change impacts, escalating inflation as witnessed in recent time, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities, due to fall in value of Naira in exchange market.
“Worried that many hungry and angry Nigerians have been expressing their frustration and anger over the recent increase in food prices by demonstrating on the streets in several cities across the country.”
Ndume observed that in other countries, like the United States of America, Food Stamp which is a government-issued coupon that is given to low-income and non-income persons and is redeemable for food have been used since 1939 to date as a measure to cushion the resultant hardships and sufferings on the poor/less privileged as well as low-income earners.
The Borno South senator expressed concerns that the “clamour for wage increase and work support cannot alone guarantee a more effective way of addressing food insecurity without the introduction of time-tested public assistance programme, as contemplated by this Motion with particular emphasis on the need for immediate food support across the country.”
Asuquo Ekpeyong, who said the initiative was laudable, however demanded that measures be put in place to guide against its abuse.
Abba Moro said there is “no better time than. now to devise ways to deal with food security. There is dire need for us to provide a system that is fool proof , to provide for ordinary Nigerians. Let us give serious thought to this document and encourage the Executive to adopt it as a working document.”
Suleiman Sadiq, spoke in ths same vein. He said: “This is so apt and we should encourage Mr. President . But we should ensure that people don’t take advantage of it. We should have a fool proof programme to ensure that only those who need the food get it.”
Ogun West, Solomon Adeola, called for deployment of modern technology to curb abuses.
“The question is how do we achieve this for over 200m population. Our data must be in place, to ensure that the real vulnerable Nigerians get it. I am in total support of this to take care of the vulnerable Nigerians,” he said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after presenting the motion, Ndume said the Food Stamp would work better than the cash transfer.
“The cash transfer system is enmeshed in massive corruption. Food stamp is given to you to buy specific foodstuff. You go to food centre and in return you are given food. You can register with your BVN,NIN and in a month you can use it.
“If you give workers Foodstamp they can go and collect food and that’s what they need for now. It is better than the cash transfer.,” he said.
Ends…
Fred Itua,
Assistant Politics Editor,
The Sun Newspaper,
Abuja
And
Director of Communications,
The Sun Media Foundation,
Nigeria.
+2348036983211