President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria.
Tinubu’s spokesman, Dele Alake made the announcement during a briefing with the State House correspondent on Thursday.
Alake stated that the President ordered that all issues related to the availability and accessibility of food and water, such as basic livelihoods, be included in the scope of the National Security Council.
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The directive was said to be in line with the Tinubu government’s position on ensuring support for the most vulnerable.
Alake explained that the president was not indifferent to the rising food prices and their impact on people’s pockets.
The president also ordered the immediate supply of fertilizers and grain to farmers and households to lessen the impact of subsidy removal.
Quoting the President, Alake said:
“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.”
According to the President, the Central Bank of Nigeria will continue to play the role of financing the agricultural value chain.
He added that 500,000 hectares of land have been set aside to increase the area of arable land.
Tinubu disclosed that revenues from food and agricultural exports would increase.
