By Adeyemi Adekunle
Abuja, Nigeria —In a significant move to tackle the rising cost of living, the Federal Government has announced a series of robust measures projected to drastically reduce food prices over the next six months. During a press conference on Wednesday, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, laid out an ambitious plan featuring a 150-day duty-free import window for essential food commodities.
“Our administration has unveiled a series of strategic measures aimed at addressing the high food prices currently affecting our nation,” Kyari stated.
The key components of the plan include a 150-day suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of specific food commodities such as maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas. These commodities will be imported through both land and sea borders and sold at a recommended retail price (RRP) to ensure affordability.
To address concerns about the quality and genetic composition of these imports, Kyari assured that all standards would be maintained to guarantee the safety and quality of food items for consumption.
The government will import 250,000 metric tons of wheat and 250,000 metric tons of maize, distributing these semi-processed commodities to small-scale processors and millers across the country.
The government will engage with stakeholders to set a guaranteed minimum price (GMP) and purchase surplus food commodities to replenish the National Strategic Food Reserve.
To enhance production, the government will support smallholder farmers through existing initiatives and accelerate both wet and dry season farming. Agricultural mechanization will be ramped up to reduce production costs and boost productivity.
The government will collaborate with sub-national entities to identify irrigable lands and increase land under cultivation. Efforts will be made to rehabilitate and maintain irrigation facilities under river basin authorities across the federation.
The government also aims to promote the production of fortified food commodities and scale up the Home Garden Initiative.
Over the next 14 days, in collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and the Economic Management Team (EMT), respective agencies will finalize the implementation frameworks to ensure transparent and inclusive participation. Strategic engagement with youth and women for immediate greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops, such as tomatoes and pepper, will be prioritized to stabilize prices and address food shortages.
The renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee, inaugurated on July 9, 2024, will develop and implement policies prioritizing livestock development in alignment with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
This comprehensive strategy underscores the government’s commitment to improving food security and reducing the financial burden on Nigerians, promising a brighter, more stable future for the nation’s food economy.
