President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Federal Executive Council to take immediate steps to ease the rising cost of food across the country.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made the disclosure on Wednesday, September 10, in Abuja during a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
According to him, the President’s directive centres on guaranteeing the free and safe passage of agricultural produce nationwide, with the aim of cutting down transport expenses that continue to inflate food prices.
“The President has given a matching order with a federal executive council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said.
READ ALSO: Food Prices Skyrocket: Beans, Rice, Eggs Lead October Surge, NBS Reports
Nigeria, already struggling with food insecurity, has seen prices soar as fuel subsidy removal, insecurity on highways, and high transport costs disrupt food distribution. Millions still find it difficult to afford basic food despite previous interventions.
Abdullahi explained that Tinubu’s plan is rooted in a vision of food sovereignty, which prioritises not just production but also affordability, accessibility, and nutrition.
He also revealed that the government is preparing to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost crop yields and a cooperative reform initiative to pool resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” he added.
Tinubu had earlier, during his Democracy Day address at the National Assembly in June, declared that Nigeria was “on the path to achieving food sovereignty” through reforms and investments in agriculture.