AgroNigeria
Dolapo Bright, a former Special Adviser on Agriculture to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s policy on food imports, saying it was based on misguided advice.
Bright argued that the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on food staples would not reduce inflation, as the cost of transporting these goods would still be high due to the rising cost of diesel and petrol.
“The person who advised the government to do that, the person is clueless,” Bright said. “If you understand what is happening, you won’t give such advice. The person is misleading the president.”
He emphasized that the policy would make Nigerian agriculture stagnant, as imported goods would flood the market and undercut local farmers.
Nigeria’s inflation rate has skyrocketed since Tinubu took office, rising from 22.41% in May 2023 to 34.6% in November 2024. The food inflation rate is even higher, at 39.93% in November 2024.
Bright attributed this surge to the government’s policies, including the removal of petrol subsidies and unification of forex rates.
Speaking further, he criticized the government’s emphasis on mechanized farming, saying that tractors alone would not solve the food shortage problem in Nigeria.
He argued that using local labor would create jobs and that over 80% of farmers in Nigeria are subsistence farmers who cannot afford tractors.
Instead, Bright advocated for creating a conducive environment for private sector-led agriculture, allowing farmers to make a decent profit without government intervention.
He also emphasized the importance of addressing structural inefficiencies, such as the high cost of diesel and petrol, to reduce inflation and improve food security.