President Bola Tinubu has unveiled a detailed food security plan after the state of emergency declaration.
“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, Tinubu said”.
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.
Dele Alake, spokesman to the president, briefed the media on the food security plan, Chronicle NG reports.
Details of our Plan will follow.
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.
1. Inclusion of food and water availability and affordability issues within the purview of the National Security Council
2. Deployment of initiatives to reverse the inflationary trend and ensure future supplies of affordable foods
3. A short-term strategy to use savings from fuel subsidy removal to revamp the agricultural sector
4. Release of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households (free) as an immediate intervention.
5. Urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation and all-year-round farming
6. Creation of a National Commodity Board to review food prices and maintain a strategic food reserve
7. Engagement of security architecture to protect farms and farmers
8. Role of the Central Bank in funding the agricultural value chain
9. Activation of land banks and increase of available arable land for farming
10. Collaboration with mechanisation companies to clear more forests and make them available for farming
11. Use of river basins for irrigation to ensure continuous farming
12. Deployment of concessionary capital or funding to the sector, especially towards fertiliser, processing, mechanisation, seeds, chemicals, equipment, feed, labour, etc.
13. Improvement of transportation and storage methods for agricultural products to reduce costs and food prices
14. Increase in revenue from food and agricultural exports
15. Improvement of trade facilitation by working with Nigerian Customs to remove bottlenecks
16. Massive boost in employment and job creation in the agricultural sector
17. Target to double the percentage of employment in agriculture to about 70% in the long term.
Tinubu stated, My administration remains committed to ensuring every Nigerian has access to affordable food.
