Recently, the Senate enjoined the federal government to address the rising food crisis across the country. Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) and Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) had in a motion entitled, “Urgent need to address food insecurity and market exploitation of consumables in Nigeria,” decried the rising cost of goods and household consumables in the country, leading to a high rate of inflation, low purchasing power of the naira, and worsening standard of living among Nigerians.
The lawmakers also noted the danger posed by food insecurity and urged the government to devise all possible means to address it. It listed insecurity, bad roads, removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of the naira as some of the factors that fueled the scarcity of food consequent inflation of food prices.
Both Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his predecessor, Ahmed Lawan, admitted the enormity of the food crisis and urged the government to rise to the challenge. “It is time that we take every possible action together with the government to ensure that food flows in our country,” Lawan warned.
Other Nigerians had expressed concern over the food crisis and called for prompt remedial action. Recently, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) expressed fears over possible hunger riot in the country as a result of the food crisis. He urged the federal government to act fast as many Nigerians could no longer feed their families due to extreme poverty.
The other day, the African Development Bank (AfDB) ranked Nigeria among countries with risks of social unrest due to hunger and rising cost of living being experienced by their citizens. Other African countries in that list included Ethiopia, Angola and Kenya.
AfDB raised the alarm in its macroeconomic performance and outlook for 2024, where it warned of internal conflicts arising from increase in energy and commodity prices occasioned by currency depreciation or subsidy removal.
The Sultan of Sokoto and the Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, had within the period warned that with millions of Nigerian youths left without jobs and food, the country was sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
In same vein, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had, after a critical assessment of the situation, concluded that Nigerians were experiencing the worst times, especially in the areas of security and economy.
The bishops noted that inflation had made it difficult for the typical Nigerian to afford essential commodities, such as food items and medication. The food crisis is real and should not be treated with levity.
The food insecurity in the land is becoming unbearable. For instance, a 50kg bag of rice that earlier sold for N30,000 now costs over N90,000. A measure of garri that was sold at N1,200, now sells for N2,500 or even higher in some places. Prices of other essential goods and services have also risen astronomically. The rising cost of living has increased the general hardship in the country.
There is no doubt that the government must have put some measures in place to address the food challenge but they have not yielded the expected results. Therefore, the federal government’s plan to suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on some essential food items imported through land and sea borders for 150 days must be followed through.
According to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, the 150 days of duty-free imports would be valid for commodities including maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas. The initiative, which is part of the Presidential Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan, would also enable the federal government to import 250,000MT of wheat and 250,000MT of maize.
The initiative should be followed to its logical conclusion. We commend the Senate for raising the alarm over the food crisis. It is also good that the federal government has approved the importation of some food items. Let the exercise be seamlessly implemented.
Apart from the duty-free food import widow, which is an interim measure, the government should also encourage food production through mechanised agriculture and all seasons’ farming. Let the government tackle insecurity so that farmers can go back to their farms. The state and local governments must prioritise food production through agriculture.