Tinubu proclaims food security state of emergency

A state of emergency regarding food security has been declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dele Alake, special adviser to the president for special duties, communication, and strategy, revealed the news on Thursday at the presidential villa in Abuja.

In a statement, Alake said the federal government will use savings from the withdrawal of subsidies to increase food production in the following weeks. She also mentioned other steps to lower the price of food on the market.

The quote is as follows.

media professionals, In order to inform the public of the administration led by President Bola Tinubu’s quick response to the nation’s present food inflation, I would like to once more extend a warm welcome to you at this news conference.

The President is aware of the rising cost of food and how it affects the populace as a hands-on leader who keeps up with events across the nation every day. Affordability has been a significant concern for many Nigerians in all regions of the country, even when supply is not an issue. The entire agriculture and food value chain is now in jeopardy due to the considerable decline in demand caused by this.

As a result, Mr. President has declared the following actions to take place immediately in accordance with this administration’s stance on protecting the needs of the most vulnerable:

• That a state of emergency regarding food security be declared right away, and
• That the National Security Council’s jurisdiction include all issues relating to the price and availability of food and water, as necessary elements of daily life.

Several actions will be implemented in the upcoming weeks as a direct and prompt response to this problem in order to stop this inflationary tendency and provide ongoing, inexpensive food supply for common Nigerians in the future.

There are quick, medium-term, and long-term interventions and remedies for emergencies, as is the case with most crises.

With an eye toward revitalizing the agricultural sector in the short term, we want to use part of the savings from the reduction of fuel subsidies.

In a previous meeting with agriculture stakeholders (today), we created a memorandum of partnership between the government and the various stakeholder groups that includes the choices made and suggestions for actions resulting from our interactions.

These are the immediate intervention techniques:

1. To lessen the effects of the elimination of subsidies, we will right away deliver grains and fertilizers to farmers and households.
2. To provide enough irrigation of farmlands and to ensure that food is produced all year round, there must be an urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources.

Mr. President has stated emphatically that we as a nation cannot accept seasonal farming. Farming downtime is no longer something we can afford.

3. We will establish and support a National Commodity Board that will monitor and analyze food prices as well as keep a strategic food reserve that will be used as a tool for price stabilization for essential grains and other food items.
   This board will help the government control price fluctuations in food.
   In order to accomplish this, we have the following parties on board to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention effort: 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 name a few.
4. We’ll use our security architecture to defend the farms and the farmers, allowing them to go back to their fields without worrying about being attacked.
5. The Central Bank will keep playing a significant part in financing the agricultural value chain.
6. The opening of land banks. Currently, 500,000 hectares of land have been mapped and will be utilized to expand the amount of arable land that can be used for farming, which will instantly affect the amount of food produced.

• Land clearing and mechanization – In order to remove more woods and provide space for farming, the government will also work with mechanization firms.

3. River basins. Currently, there are 11 river basins that will guarantee crop planting throughout the dry season with irrigation plans that will provide year-round farming production and prevent the seasonal surplus and shortage that we often face.
4. We will provide the industry with concessionary finance and investment, especially for labor, equipment, feed, seeds, chemicals, processing, mechanization, and fertilizer.
   Food would always be accessible and affordable thanks to the concessionary funds, directly affecting Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI). This administration is committed to raising the HCI numbers, which are currently third-lowest in the world, in order to boost productivity.
5. Transportation and Storage: Because of permits, toll gates, and other related expenditures, moving agricultural products has proven to be very expensive. The government will look into other modes of transportation like rail and water transport to reduce freight costs and in turn have an impact on food prices when the costs of moving farm produce are significantly impacted—it will immediately be passed to the consumers, which will affect the price of food.

To reduce waste and ensure effective food preservation, existing warehouses and tanks will be renovated.

10. We’ll increase our revenue from exports of food and agricultural products. We will simultaneously endeavor to boost the export capacity of the agricultural sector while making sure there is enough, cheap food for the general public.
11. Trade Facilitation: Working with Nigerian Customs would improve transportation, storage, and export. They have told us that the bottlenecks experienced in exporting and importing food goods as well as in intra-city transportation through tolling will be eradicated.

These are a some of the immediate measures that this administration will take to address the situation.
A significant increase in employment and job creation will be primarily one of the key positive effects of these efforts.

In Nigeria, agriculture presently provides around 35.21 percent of jobs as of 2021; the long-term goal is to raise this ratio to nearly 70%.

With the current 500,000 hectares of arable land and the several hundred thousand additional farmlands that will be developed in the medium term, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to create jobs for our teeming youth population will be accomplished.

In conclusion, this administration is appealing to all Nigerians to join us in guaranteeing the success of this strategic intervention because it recognizes that food and water are the foundation of survival. To ensure that Nigerians do not struggle to meet their basic requirements, this administration is exerting great effort.

Using this platform, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants to reassure Nigerians once more that his administration won’t give up until all strategic interventions are implemented successfully and with a good impact on every home. All Nigerians’ president and the father of the country is our president. No one, under any circumstances, will be forgotten as long as the renewed hope mandate is in effect.