President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee on food security to fast-track measures aimed at reducing the high cost of food across the country.
Naija News reports that the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, confirmed the President’s directive in Abuja on Wednesday at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
According to Abdullahi, the President’s new directive centres on ensuring the smooth and secure transportation of farm produce across the country to cut down logistics costs, which have been a major driver of food inflation.
“The President has given a matching order with a federal executive council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” he said.
Nigeria has been battling rising food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023, coupled with insecurity on highways and high transport costs that have disrupted the flow of goods from farms to markets.
Abdullahi said the administration’s strategy goes beyond simply increasing food availability to ensuring affordability, accessibility, and proper nutrition for Nigerians.
“This is part of the President’s vision of food sovereignty. We must produce and grow most of our food, and we must make it affordable and accessible to ordinary Nigerians,” he noted.
The minister revealed that the Federal Government is set to roll out two major initiatives, a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity, and a revamped cooperative reform project to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“The President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, economic activity generation, and improving the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The renewed push follows Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech in June, where he declared that Nigeria was on the path to achieving food sovereignty through reforms introduced by his government.
“Our ‘Nigeria First’ policy will further enhance progress as we consolidate market-driven growth. The improved economic performance is encouraging and validates the soundness of our policy measures. Our medium-term growth target remains an economy growing at a seven per cent clip with a stronger manufacturing base. We must learn to produce and grow most of our food, and we are on the path to achieving food sovereignty,” Tinubu had said at the National Assembly.
Naija News understands that the Abuja event also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; former presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
Speakers emphasised the importance of accountability, collaboration, and accurate reporting in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and supporting reforms in key sectors, such as agriculture.
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