The Federal Government of Nigeria under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the suspension of taxes, duties, and tariffs for the importation of specific food items via land and sea borders. This information was announced during a press briefing by Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security on Monday.
The briefing was done to highlight the implementation of the presidential accelerated stabilization and advancement plan to bring about food security and economic stability to Nigeria.
Nigerians have had to suffer high cost of food prices after the subsidy removal announcement by the new president. Also, the floating of the Naira which was one of the economic reforms carried out by the president greatly affected the currency exchange rate thereby making importation of goods expensive.
Also, insecurity and insurgency in the northeast and other parts of the country greatly affected food availability and production. In recent times, locally grown crops became scarce and expensive; tomatoes were too expensive to buy, and other foodstuffs were equally affected by the increased prices.
Not forgetting that the present government started an initiative to address agriculture and food availability like the dry season farming initiative launched in November 2023. Yet, the programme has not helped to bring down food prices in the country.
According to data from the National Bureau of statistics, inflation rose to 33.95 per cent in May 2024 from 22.41 per cent in May last year. Food inflation followed a similar trend, climbing to 40.66 per cent in May 2024 from 24.82 per cent last year in May. At this, Kyari said “we have heard the cries of Nigeria over prices of food items and condiments.
“As a government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, members of the federal executive council and indeed all other operatives in the MDAs are fully aware of the hardship occasioned by the high cost of food items in our country”
He named agricultural production activities, infrastructural challenges, multiple taxes and levies and sheer profiteering by marketers and traders as some of the causes of the food inflation experienced in the country.
The following are measures which would be implemented by the Nigerian government in the next 180 days:
1. A 150-Day Duty-Free Import Window for Food Commodities
a. suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities (through
land and sea borders)
b. These commodities include Maize, Husked Brown Rice, Wheat and Cowpeas
c. Under this arrangement, imported food commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP).
(I am aware that some good citizens might be concerned about the quality of the would-be imported food commodities as it relates to the trending worries around the genetic composition of food.) I am glad to reiterate that the Government’s position exemplifies standards that would not compromise the safety of the various food items for consumption.
2. In addition to the importation by the private sector, the Federal Government will import 250,000MT of Wheat and 250,000MT of Maize. The imported food commodities in their semi-processed state will target supplies to the small-scale processors and millers across the country.
3. Engage relevant stakeholders to set a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) and mop up surplus assorted food commodities to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve.
4. Continuous ramp-up production for the 2024/2025 farming cycle.
a. sustained support to smallholder farmers in the ongoing wet season farming through existing
government initiatives.
b. strengthen and accelerate Dry Season Farming across the country.
c. embark on aggressive agricultural mechanization and development to reduce drudgery, drive down the cost of production and boost productivity.
d. collaborate with Sub-National to identify irrigable lands and increase land under cultivation.
e. work closely with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, to rehabilitate and
maintain irrigation facilities under river basin authorities across the federation.
f. development of a strategic engagement for youth and women across the federation for immediate greenhouse cultivation of horticultural crops such as tomatoes and pepper to increase production volume, stabilise prices and address food shortages.
g. fast-tracking ongoing engagements with the Nigerian Military to rapidly cultivate arable lands under the Defence Farms Scheme, while encouraging other Para-Military establishments to secure available arable lands for cultivation.
5. The Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 9th July 2024 to develop implementing policies that prioritise livestock development and ensure alignment with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
6. Enhancement of Nutrition Security through:
a. the promotion of the production of fortified food commodities and
b. offer necessary support to scale up the Home Garden Initiative by the Office of The First Lady
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Kyari also said “Over the next 14 days, in close collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and the Economic Management Team (EMT), we will convene with the respective Agencies to finalise the implementation frameworks.
“We will ensure that information is publicly available to facilitate the participation of all relevant stakeholders across the country.
“The PFSCU will manage a dashboard for Mr. President, providing him with direct visibility into these interventions and ensuring accountability. The success of the measures aforementioned is contingent on the cooperation and collaboration of all relevant MDAs and stakeholders.”
He reiterated the president’s unwavering commitment to attaining food security while ensuring that Nigerians do not go to bed hungry. He is also committed to implementing both short term and long-term strategies to address the underlying causes and ensure sustainable and resilient food systems in the country.
