President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The president said food and water would henceforth be considered essential livelihood and would be under the watch of the National Security Council.
According to a statement from the presidency, fertilisers and grains would be released to farmers with immediate effect
Dele Alake, the President’s Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications And Strategy, announced this in a statement that was shared by Dada Olusegun, Tinubu’s Special Assistant, on social media.
President Tinubu made the declaration at a meeting with the agriculture and food production value chain stakeholders.
According to the statement, the measures as part of the government’s action plan on food security, sustainability and pricing contained the immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
The statement disclosed that the president also approved all items relating to the availability of food and water to be considered essential livelihood items and listed under the watch of the National Security Council.
The statement reads in part: “We will immediately release fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.
The president promised that there would be synergy between the use of water resources and the Ministry of agriculture to ensure adequate farmland irrigation and make food available all year round. Tinubu said the country is no longer comfortable with season farming and that the government would henceforth do away with farm downtime.
FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU STATEMENT ON THE STATE OF EMERGENCY ON FOOD SECURITY
Today, we declared a state of emergency and unveiled a comprehensive intervention plan on food security, affordability, and sustainability, taking decisive action to tackle food inflation. These are steps towards a more food secure Nigeria for all. Our new initiatives will tackle rising food costs, enhance agriculture, and boost job creation. No one will be left behind in our efforts to ensure affordable, plentiful food for every Nigerian
We acknowledge that affordability, not availability, is the key issue for Nigerians and recognize the impact of high food prices on demand and the overall agriculture and food value chain.
Inclusion of food and water availability and affordability issues within the purview of the National Security Council. Deployment of initiatives to reverse inflationary trend and ensure future supplies of affordable foods. Short-term strategy to use savings from fuel subsidy removal to revamp the agricultural sector. Release of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households (free) as immediate intervention. Urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation and all-year round farming.
Creation of a National Commodity Board to review food prices and maintain a strategic food reserve. Engagement of security architecture to protect farms and farmers. Role of the Central Bank in funding the agricultural value chain. Activation of land banks and increase of available arable land for farming. 10. Collaboration with mechanization companies to clear more forests and make them available for farming.
Usage of river basins for irrigation to ensure continuous farming. Deployment of concessionary capital/funding to the sector especially towards fertilizer, processing, mechanization, seeds, chemicals, equipment, feed, labor, etc. Improvement of transportation and storage methods for agricultural products to reduce costs and food prices. Increase in revenue from food and agricultural exports. Improvement of trade facilitation by working with the Nigerian Customs to remove bottlenecks. Massive boost in employment and job creation in the agricultural sector. Target to double the percentage of employment in agriculture to about 70% in the long term. My administration remains committed to ensuring every Nigerian has access to affordable food.
Thank you
By Ajibola Adedoye