The Federal Government says President Bola Tinubu will get dashboard access for tracking emergency measures unveiled today to address food security by stemming rising prices across Nigeria.
President Tinubu’s administration today unfolded a series of measures that will be implemented over the next 180 days to stem high food prices, which includes a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security said at a press briefing.
Under the plan, the 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities government will suspend duties, tariffs and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities through land and sea borders.
Under the arrangement, the imported food commodities including maize, husked brown rice, wheat and cowpeas will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP).
“The PFSCU will manage a dashboard for Mr. President, providing him with direct visibility into these interventions and ensuring accountability,” according to the Minister.
According to the Agriculture and Food Security Minister, “I am aware that some good citizens might be concerned about the quality of the would-be imported food commodities as it relates to the trending worries around the genetic composition of food. I am glad to reiterate that the government’s position exemplifies standards that would not compromise the safety of the various food items for consumption”, in a statement shared on social media platform X by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the President.
In a key highlight of the plan, he said that the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), which will be collaborating with the Economic Management Team (EMT) to finalise the implementation frameworks over the next 14 days, will provide a platform for President Tinubu to track progress of the emergency measures.
“The PFSCU will manage a dashboard for Mr. President, providing him with direct visibility into these interventions and ensuring accountability,” according to the Minister.
The Minister says that in addition to the importation by the private sector, the Federal Government will import 250,000MT of wheat and 250,000MT of maize. The imported food commodities in their semi processed state, Kyari says, will target supplies to the small-scale processors and millers across the country.
The government will also engage relevant stakeholders to set a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) and mop up surplus assorted food commodities to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve.
To ramp-up production for the 2024/2025 farming cycle, the government will sustain support to smallholder farmers in the ongoing wet season farming through existing government initiatives.
It will also strengthen and accelerate Dry Season Farming across the country while aggressively driving agricultural mechanisation and development to reduce drudgery, drive down the cost of production and boost productivity. As part of this, the Minister says that the Federal Government will collaborate with sub-nationals to identify irrigable lands and increase land under cultivation.
The Federal Government will also “work closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, to rehabilitate and maintain irrigation facilities under river basin authorities across the federation.”
The framework will also include the development of a strategic engagement for youth and women across the federation for immediate greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops such as tomatoes and pepper to increase production volume, stabilise prices, and address food shortages.
The Minister says the Federal Government will also fast-track ongoing engagements with the Nigerian Military to rapidly cultivate arable lands under the Defence Farms Scheme, while encouraging other para-military establishments to put secured available arable lands to cultivation.
According to him, the Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee will be inaugurated on Tuesday, July 9, to develop and implement policies that prioritise livestock development and ensure alignment with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
He says that President Tinubu’s administration hopes to enhance Nigeria’s nutrition security through the promotion of production of fortified food commodities and also offer necessary support to scale up the Home Garden Initiative by the Office of The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The success of the measures aforementioned is contingent on cooperation and collaboration of all relevant MDAs and stakeholders, Kyari says.
The Agriculture and Food Security Minister says that “as our nation confronts a critical food security challenge, let me reiterate Mr. President’s unwavering commitment to attaining food security and ensuring that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry. To this end, I can assure all Nigerians, that my team and I, will swiftly and diligently actualize these crucial policies to ensure food security for everyone in the country in the immediate term as we also continue our strategies for long-term interventions to address the underlying causes and ensure sustainable and resilient food systems in the country.”
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