Governors Meet Agric Minister, Demand Solution To Food Crisis

Members of the Nigeria Governors Forum, (NGF) met with officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) over the rising food crisis in the country

The move came after youths and women of Niger State took to the streets of Minna to protest over the rising cost of food and harsh living conditions in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the governors was the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq who faulted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme.

He said, “We could not achieve much with the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme, it was very challenging.

“The issue of food security is a one-stop-shop and we need to concentrate on what we are doing. We need to concentrate on what we are doing for the dry season farming.

“The minister has come up with a programme on cassava, rice and maize and we want to engage in that programme and urgently make sure we improve on our yield and deliver to the Nigerian population.

“We want to get to a stage where we export our food. What we have now is that because of the devaluation of our naira, Nigeria’s food is being exported to West Africa and is the cheapest in the region today”.

Speaking further Abdulrazaq alleged that the “CBN took over most of what the agric ministry used to do, and various trips to the ministry at that time were not fruitful.”

The NGF chairman commended the government for prioritising food production, adding that “whatever subsidy that is coming from the federal government will be improved upon by the states.”

Making the government’s intention known, the Minister, Senator Abubakar Kyari said the bigger picture food security seeks is to create and vastly increase agricultural production all year round.

“It is intending to create an agricultural sector fit for a nation as endowed as Nigeria with massive arable fertile land, abundant water resources and agricultural labour force. This visit is, in my view, beyond a courtesy call.

“This is with the cardinal objective of driving down food inflation, creating employment, reducing poverty, engendering economic growth and development, as well as promoting inclusivity” Kyari said.

Also in attendance at the meeting are the Governors of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas; Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo.