Nigeria declares food-shortage state of emergency

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security to address ongoing food inflation.

Immediate, medium and long-term interventions have been designed by the government to combat the shortages. These range from providing fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to assigning responsibility for food and water to the National Security Council.

The government plans to allocate funds from the fuel subsidy removal to support the agricultural sector and establish a National Commodity Board to regulate and stabilise food prices.

President Tinubu emphasized the initiatives’ goals of reducing food costs, promoting agriculture and generating employment opportunities.

In a post on his Twitter handle, President Tinubu said that the “new initiatives will tackle rising food costs, enhance agriculture, and boost job creation”.

“No-one will be left behind in our efforts to ensure affordable, plentiful food for every Nigerian,” he tweeted.

Earlier in the month, a former governor in northern Nigeria expressed concern that the country may face a food crisis soon due to banditry in the North.

The International Monetary Fund warned of increased food prices and risks due to floods and expensive fertilisers.