In response to the escalating food crisis gripping Nigeria, the Senate has issued a fervent plea to President Bola Tinubu, urging swift action to alleviate widespread food insecurity plaguing the nation.
This urgent call came during the Senate’s Tuesday plenary session following a motion moved by Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) and co-sponsored by Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South).
The motion, titled “Urgent Need to Address Food Insecurity and Market Exploitation of Consumables In Nigeria,” noted that recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed a significant rise in food inflation.
According to Karimi, “food inflation in the country skyrocketed to 40.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis, a significant increase from the 24.82 per cent recorded in May 2023.”
Karimi further highlighted the alarming price hikes of essential commodities, stating, “The current market price of food items such as beans, maize, rice paddy, yam, tomatoes, and onions which initially rose by about 40% after the removal of petroleum Subsidy has now increased to over 100% to 300% without any attributable reason for the increase in prices.”
He attributed these increases to various factors including “insecurity in food-producing regions, bad roads, increase in the cost of transportation attributable to the removal of fuel subsidy and depreciation of the value of naira.”
Ndume echoed concerns over Nigeria’s inclusion among countries battling food insecurity globally, noting, “In their many publications, they say Nigeria is likely to experience the highest session of food insecurity globally.”
Ndume continued, “Currently, there are four countries including Sudan and some others that are facing very serious insecurity. Nigeria is added to this list this year by the International Rescue Committee as one of the spots for food insecurity action against hunger.”
Senate President GodsWill Akpabio linked the food crisis to broader insecurity issues, stating, “The food insecurity followed the insecurity that had ravaged the country.”
Consequently, the Senate unanimously called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and mitigate the escalating food crises nationwide.
The Senate’s resolution marks a critical step in galvanizing national attention and government action towards alleviating the dire consequences of food insecurity affecting millions of Nigerians.