Urgent Measures Announced to Ensure Affordable Food and Boost Agricultural Sector
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally declared a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria, citing the need to address the rising cost of food and ensure affordable access for all citizens. The declaration was made during a press briefing held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, Dele Alake, speaking on behalf of President Tinubu, emphasized that while food availability was not a problem, affordability had become a major concern across the country. The President acknowledged the significant drop in demand, which undermined the entire agricultural and food value chain.
In response to the crisis, President Tinubu outlined a series of immediate, medium, and long-term interventions and solutions. To address the immediate challenges, the government plans to utilize savings from the fuel subsidy removal to revamp the agricultural sector. Key measures include the release of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal. Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources will collaborate to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and year-round food production.
President Tinubu expressed the need to create a National Commodity Board responsible for reviewing and continuously assessing food prices. This board will also maintain a strategic food reserve to stabilize critical grain prices and moderate fluctuations. Various stakeholders, including the National Commodity Exchange, seed companies, research institutes, and microfinance banks, will support the intervention effort.
In terms of security, the government plans to engage the security architecture to protect farmers and their farmlands, allowing them to work without fear of attacks. The Central Bank will continue to play a major role in funding the agricultural value chain, while land banks will be activated to increase the availability of arable land for farming. Collaboration with mechanization companies will help clear forests for agricultural use.
To ensure continuous farming production throughout the year and address seasonal gluts and scarcities, river basins will be utilized for irrigation schemes. The government also aims to provide concessionary capital and funding for fertilizer, processing, mechanization, seeds, chemicals, equipment, and labor. Transportation and storage costs will be reduced by exploring alternative means such as rail and water transport. Existing warehouses and tanks will be revamped to enhance the preservation of food items.
President Tinubu's administration aims to increase revenue from agricultural exports and stimulate the export capacity of the sector while improving trade facilitation by addressing bottlenecks experienced in transportation and tolling. These interventions are expected to boost employment and job creation, with a target of doubling the percentage of agricultural employment in Nigeria to about 70% in the long term.
President Tinubu urged all Nigerians to support these strategic interventions, emphasizing the administration's commitment to ensuring that essential needs are met. He reassured the nation that no effort would be spared until every household was positively impacted, emphasizing that he was the president of all Nigerians and the father of the nation.
The measures announced by President Tinubu come in response to the pressing food security challenges faced by Nigeria, aiming to stabilize prices, increase production, and ensure affordable access to food for all citizens.
For more information and updates, please refer to the following sources:
1. [The Cable](https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-tinubu-declares-state-of-emergency-on-food-security-orders-release-of-grains-to-households/amp)
2. [Premium Times](https://www.premiumtimesng.com/agriculture/agric-news/609678-updated-tinubu-declares-state-of-emergency-on-food-insecurity-as-prices-rise.html)
3. [Punch NG](https://punchng.com/tinubu-declares-state-of-emergency-on-food-security%E2%81%A3/?amp)
4. [Channels TV](https://www.channelstv.com/2023/07/13/breaking-tinubu-declares-state-of-emergency-on-food-security/amp/)
