The Nigerian Government has announced a series of measures to address the escalating prices of food within the next 180 days. On Monday, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, outlined the strategies during a press conference in Abuja.
Key among the measures is a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities. Kyari stated, “The Federal Government will implement a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, suspending duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas through land and sea borders. These imported commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP).”
He assured citizens that the government would maintain high standards to ensure the safety of imported food items amidst concerns about genetic composition. Additionally, the Federal Government plans to import 250,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat and 250,000MT of maize, targeting supplies to small-scale processors and millers nationwide.
Kyari also detailed other government initiatives to stabilize food prices and boost agricultural productivity:
– **Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP):** Engaging stakeholders to set a GMP and mop up surplus food commodities to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve.
– **Continuous Ramp-Up Production:** Supporting smallholder farmers during the ongoing wet season and accelerating dry season farming across the country.
– **Agricultural Mechanization:** Embarking on aggressive mechanization to reduce production costs and boost productivity.
– **Irrigation and Cultivation:** Collaborating with sub-national entities to identify irrigable lands and increasing land under cultivation, working closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to maintain irrigation facilities.
– **Youth and Women Engagement:** Developing strategic engagements for youth and women for immediate greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops such as tomatoes and pepper.
– **Defense Farms Scheme:** Fast-tracking engagements with the Nigerian Military to cultivate arable lands under the Defense Farms Scheme and encouraging other para-military establishments to utilize available lands for cultivation.
Kyari announced the inauguration of the Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee on July 9, 2024, to develop and implement policies prioritizing livestock development in alignment with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
The government also aims to enhance nutrition security by promoting the production of fortified food commodities and scaling up the Home Garden Initiative supported by the First Lady’s office.
In the next 14 days, the government, in collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and the Economic Management Team (EMT), will finalize the implementation frameworks. Kyari emphasized that the PFSCU would manage a dashboard for the President to ensure accountability and provide direct visibility into these interventions.
“We will ensure that information is publicly available to facilitate the participation of all relevant stakeholders across the country,” Kyari concluded.
