The authorities must do more to cushion cost of living crisis
As a way of addressing the rising hunger crisis in the country, President Bola Tinubu recently directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release 42,000 metric tonnes of maize, millet, and other grains in its strategic reserve. The grains, according to the Minister, Abubakar Kyari, will be released to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). "They know exactly where it is needed; and they have a policy on how they transport and store before it is distributed to the needy." But almost one month after the directive, which in itself raises several questions, vulnerable Nigerians are still waiting for a fulfilment of the promise. Meanwhile, the impact on recent policy decisions has left Nigerians reeling from soaring prices of basic foodstuffs with hunger now a common staple in many homes.
While available reports indicate that some of the silos do have stockpiles of grains, there are two critical issues. One, available grains are grossly inadequate to take care of the current emergency in the country. Two, the grains in silos are not bagged. So, they need to bag them before sharing. There are videos of bagging on social media. The bottom line is that the practice of making announcements without simple due diligence about relevant facts is alive and well. What does it take to first confirm what's available in the government silos, find other sources for augmentation and make adequate preparation for release and distribution before going public?
Last week, thousands of workers, traders, rights activists, and students marched through the streets of major cities across the country, protesting the high cost of food, medicine, cooking gas, and essential commodities. Although it was generally peaceful, the federal government must work to ensure there are no future protests. Not with threats but with concrete actions to ameliorate the current situation. Driving down the prices of some staple foods should be a major priority of the government now.
To be sure, hunger has been a daunting challenge in Nigeria for years. The Boko Haram insurgency has not only led to the death of thousands of Nigerians but also led to widespread displacement of millions of people from their communities and farms. The situation is compounded by the unending conflict between farmers and herders in the Northcentral states regarded as the nation's food belt. All these in addition to the Russia-Ukraine War, the recent mass flooding in the country, an ailing currency which is on a free fall and inflationary crisis that is depleting incomes and savings fuelling the suffering and despair that has overtaken the country.
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Indeed, the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) has warned repeatedly that millions of Nigerians are at the risk of hunger as prices of foodstuff skyrocket. As of December 2023, a World Bank report showed that Nigeria's poverty level had taken a notch higher. Recent data compiled by an international e-commerce organisation also revealed that the average Nigerian household spends about 60 per cent of its income on food, the highest in the world. In contrast, residents of the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore spend less than 10 per cent of income on food.
With angry citizens expressing their frustration about the daily hikes of staple foods, transportation costs, school fees, house rent and other expenses that are becoming impossible to finance, the federal government and authorities in the 36 states of the federation must wake up to the reality of the situation.
