Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has proclaimed a state of emergency on food security.
Dele Alake, the presidential spokesman, stated this to a State House correspondent on Thursday.
The President directed that all issues concerning the availability and affordability of food and water, as vital livelihood goods, be brought under the purview of the National Security Council.
The instruction was believed to be in accordance with the Tinubu administration’s stance on supporting the most needy.
According to Alake, the President is aware of the rising cost of food and its impact on citizens’ pockets.
To alleviate the effects of the subsidy elimination, the President also instructed the prompt supply of fertilizers and cereals to farmers and households.
“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.” the President was quoted as saying.
“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 stated that the Central Bank of Nigeria will continue to subsidize the agricultural value chain.
He stated that 500,000 hectares of land have already been mapped in order to increase the availability of arable land for farming.
Tinubu stated that earnings from agricultural and food exports would be enhanced.
