President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee on food security to implement urgent measures aimed at reducing food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
According to him, the president’s directive focuses on ensuring the safe passage of farm produce on transport routes at lower logistics costs, which have been a major driver of food inflation.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said.
Nigeria has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, rising transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods. Despite several interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
Abdullahi said Tinubu’s plan goes beyond availability of food to ensuring affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he announced two new initiatives including: Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost crop productivity, and the Revamped Cooperative Reforms to mobilise resources, empower rural farmers, and strengthen community-based agriculture.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” the minister added.
The event, themed “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; former presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
Recall that, Tinubu had earlier declared in his Democracy Day speech that Nigeria was on the path to achieving food sovereignty, anchored on producing and growing most of the nation’s food needs.
His words: “Our ‘Nigeria First’ policy will further enhance progress as we consolidate market-driven growth.
“The improved economic performance is encouraging and validates the soundness of our policy measures.
“Our medium-term growth target remains an economy growing at a seven per cent clip with a stronger manufacturing base.
“We must learn to produce and grow most of our food, and we are on the path to achieving food sovereignty.”
