President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria.
The President who has decided to make the availability of food a priority has also directed that all matters pertaining to food and water affordability be included within the purview of the National Security Council, since administration aims at ensuring that the most vulnerable are supported.
This development was disclosed by the Presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, while briefing State House correspondent on Thursday.
According to Alake, the President is aware of the rising cost of food and its effect on the citizens.
To mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal the President has given a directive for the immediate release fertilizers and grains to farmers and households.
On how to make this work, President Tinubu has made comments on the approach to be implored.
In his words, “There must be an urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is produced all-year round.”
“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.”
The President also said the Central Bank of Nigeria will play the role of funding the agricultural value chain.
He said 500,000 hectares of have already been mapped land to increase availability of arable land for farming.
Tinubu has also affirmed that revenue from food and agricultural exports would be increased
