Food Security: Tinubu Slams State Of Emergency

Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security in the country.

In a monitored report on Channels Television, Tinubu made the declaration on Thursday through a statement released by his spokesman, Dele Alake who briefed State House correspondent on Thursday.

All matters concerning food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, now to be included within the purview of the National Security Council.

The directive was said to be in line with the Tinubu administration’s position on ensuring that the most vulnerable are supported.

According to Alake, the President is not unmindful of the rising cost of food and its effect on the pocket of citizens.

He has therefore directed the immediate release fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.

“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, ” Tinubu said.

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Continuing, the statement said, “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 Central Bank of Nigeria according to the President
will continue to play a role of funding the agricultural value chain while 500,000 hectares of land have been mapped out to increase availability of arable land for farming activities.

He also assured that revenue from food and agricultural exports would be increased.