The Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has announced a series of measures to address the rising food prices across the country.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, detailed that these measures would be rolled out over the next 180 days. Key among them is a "150-Day Duty-Free Import Window" for certain food commodities, which entails the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on imports via land and sea borders.
Priority commodities under this initiative include maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas. These imported items will be sold at a Recommended Retail Price (RRP), ensuring affordability.
Additionally, the government has committed to importing 250,000 metric tons each of wheat and maize. These imports, primarily in semi-processed forms, are intended to support small-scale processors and millers nationwide. The government will also work with stakeholders to establish a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) for various food commodities and manage surplus stock through the National Strategic Food Reserve.
In a bid to boost local production and stabilize prices, the government plans to engage youth and women in greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops like tomatoes and peppers. This initiative aims to increase production volumes and address food shortages.
Further, the government will launch the "Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee" on July 9, 2024, to develop and implement policies supporting livestock development in line with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
Support will also be scaled up for the Homs Green Initiative, spearheaded by the office of the First Lady of Nigeria.
The success of these measures, the government noted, relies heavily on the cooperation and collaboration of all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and stakeholders.
These initiatives come in response to the severe food inflation affecting Nigerians, marking the highest increase in food prices in years.
