Adejoke Adebiyi
President Bola Tinubu has taken decisive action to address the pressing issue of food security in Nigeria by declaring a state of emergency.
Presidential spokesman, Dele Alake on Thursday,during a briefing with State House correspondents, announced the President’s directive which include food and water availability and affordability.
He described them as essential that concerns within the purview of the National Security Council.
Acknowledging the rising cost of food and its impact on citizens’ wallets, President Tinubu called for immediate measures to alleviate the effects of subsidy removal and directed the prompt release of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households.
The President emphasized the urgent need for synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands, thus enabling year-round food production.
He said,“ We shall create and support a National Commodity Board that will review and continuously assess food prices as well as maintain a strategic food reserve that will be used as a price stabilisation mechanism for critical grains and other food items. Through this board, government will moderate spikes and dips in food prices.
“To achieve this, we have the following stakeholders on board to support the intervention effort of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: The National Commodity Exchange (NCX), Seed Companies, National Seed Council and Research institutes, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, Food Processing/ Agric Processing associations, private sector holders & Prime Anchors, small holder farmers, crop associations and Fertilizer producers, blenders and suppliers associations to mention a few.
“We will engage our security architecture to protect the farms and the farmers so that farmers can return to the farmlands without fear of attacks.”
President Tinubu enlisted the support of various stakeholders, including the National Commodity Exchange (NCX), Seed Companies, National Seed Council and Research Institutes, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, Food Processing/Agric Processing associations, private sector holders and Prime Anchors, smallholder farmers, crop associations, and fertilizer producers, blenders, and suppliers.
Moreover, the President emphasized the importance of safeguarding farmers and farmlands, pledging to engage the security architecture to provide protection from attacks, enabling farmers to work without fear.
President Tinubu underscored the ongoing role of the Central Bank of Nigeria in funding the agricultural value chain.
Additionally, he revealed that 500,000 hectares of land have already been mapped to increase the availability of arable land for farming.
President Tinubu expressed his intention to boost food and agricultural exports, recognizing their potential for economic growth.
President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security demonstrates his administration’s commitment to addressing the pressing challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Through a comprehensive and multi-stakeholder approach, the government aims to mitigate the effects of rising food prices, ensure sustainable food production, and stimulate economic growth through agricultural exports.
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