President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed a Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee to take urgent steps to reduce the cost of food items nationwide.
The directive was disclosed by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, during a one-day capacity building workshop for Senate correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.
Abdullahi explained that the president’s mandate is geared toward achieving food sovereignty by easing the movement of farm produce and cutting down on high transportation costs, which he said remain a major driver of food inflation, Vanguard reported
“I can confirm that Mr. President has issued a matching order through a federal executive council committee already working on this. The plan focuses on ensuring safe passage of agricultural commodities across various routes in the country,” the minister said.
He noted that multiple checkpoints and other logistical bottlenecks along transport corridors often lead to excessive costs, which are eventually passed on to consumers.
“If you know the amount of money being spent to get these commodities to markets, then you’ll understand why food prices remain high at the point of delivery,” Abdullahi added.
The minister also stressed that the government’s broader food policy covers not just availability, but also accessibility, affordability, and nutritional value on a sustainable basis.
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Abdullahi revealed that complementary programmes, including the Farmer Soil Health Scheme and Cooperative Reform initiative, are in the pipeline.
“We are ready to launch the Farmer Soil Health Scheme. Mr. President has also shown great interest in revamping the cooperative sector as a tool for resource mobilisation, economic activity, and improving livelihoods. The cooperative model is democratic and productive, and we are working to reform it,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training workshop, themed Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges, and Responsibilities, also featured the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, former presidential aide Senator Ita Enang, and the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, as resource persons.
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