Nigeria’s 36 state governors have agreed to remove illegal roadblocks and reduce multiple taxes across the country to ease food transportation and curb rising prices.
This resolution followed a late-night meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja, which ended early Thursday, June 19.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State read the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, explaining that the decision was driven by the need to address food inflation.
Sanwo-Olu said the governors reached a consensus “to dismantle illegal road blocks and multiple taxes,” which they believe are major contributors to the surging cost of food.
The communiqué was signed by NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
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According to the communiqué, “The Forum received a briefing from the National Security Adviser (NSA), accompanied by the Honourable Ministers of Defence, Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Transportation, on the rising cost of food and livestock transportation across the country.”
It noted that, “The presentation revealed that the proliferation of checkpoints, illegal taxation, and poor infrastructure are key contributors to price inflation and inefficiencies in the food supply chain.”
“The NSA noted that a high-level inter-ministerial committee has been established to address these concerns and has submitted its recommendations for the endorsement of the Forum,” the communiqué added.
The governors, it said, “acknowledged the urgency of the matter and expressed commitment to collaborate with federal authorities to streamline levies, dismantle unauthorized checkpoints, and improve the movement of goods across states.”