In an urgent response to Nigeria’s escalating food crisis, the Federal Government has initiated the distribution of 60 trucks of fertiliser to each state.
Additionally, each of the 109 senators will receive two trucks of fertiliser for their constituents, while the 360 members of the House of Representatives will each get one truck to distribute in their constituencies.
The Senate revealed this plan on Tuesday during a plenary session focused on the nation’s food crisis. The call for expedited action came after a motion was presented by Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, and co-sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South. The motion, titled “Urgent Need to Address Food Insecurity and Market Exploitation of Consumables in Nigeria,” highlighted the dramatic rise in the cost of goods and household consumables, contributing to high inflation and worsening living conditions for many Nigerians.
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Karimi noted, “Food inflation in the country skyrocketed to 40.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis, a significant increase from the 24.82 per cent recorded in May 2023. The current market price of food items such as beans, maize, rice paddy, yam, tomatoes, and onions, which initially rose by about 40 per cent after the removal of petroleum subsidy, has now increased to over 100 – 300 per cent without any attributable reason for the increase in prices.”
Despite efforts by the Federal Government to curb food inflation, Karimi lamented that the desired results had not been achieved. He stressed the need for more pragmatic solutions to address food insecurity, including curbing herder-farmer crises and ensuring the development of a National Commodity Board to regulate the price of grains.
Senator Ndume underscored the severity of the situation, noting that this is the first time Nigeria has been listed as one of the countries battling severe food insecurity. “Currently there are four countries, including Sudan and some others, that are facing very serious insecurity. Nigeria is added to this list this year by the International Rescue Committee as one of the spots for food insecurity action against hunger,” Ndume said. “World Food Programme also indicated that over 32 million people are expected to face a critical hunger crisis and emerging level between now and August.”
Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan expressed concern over the visible signs of hunger and the empty state of the nation’s food silos. He urged immediate engagement with the executive branch to address food importation and foreign exchange needs. “It is time that we take every possible action together with government to ensure that food flows in our country,” Lawan said.
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Security Chairman, Senator Saliu Mustapha, confirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the fertiliser distribution plan. Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the need for proper monitoring to ensure the fertiliser reaches the appropriate recipients.
“The government must be entirely responsible because we cannot take people for granted for too long. People have come almost to the end of their patience,” Lawan warned.
The Senate concluded by urging the federal government to address the food crisis across the country as a matter of urgency.
