Imo is said to be among states with reported high cost of food items. President Bola Tinubu had in June this year, reportedly gave all the state governors seven days to provide concrete feedback on their plans to rev up food production in their respective states.
Tinubu who reportedly gave the directive at the 142nd National Economic Council meeting attended by state governors and some deputies at the State House, Abuja, expressed worries of the rising cost of food items in the country, and demanded immediate action from the governors of 36 states.
The president was also reported to have assured of prompt assistance to any state with plans on how to rev up food production.
It is however, puzzling whether the state governors have so far done much in this regard.
Meanwhile the prevailing high prices of food items in Nigeria appear to have reached a crescendo. Suffice to say that Nigerians are already beleaguered by the persisting food inflation.
The prices of food like other goods and services continue to climb to the top of the mountains under the present administration of Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even though it is trite to say that the economic situation in the country began to slide to worrisome lows under the lacklustre Muhammadu Buhari administration that left office in on May 29, 2019. The over-year-old Tinubu administration as Nigeria’s President does not seem to have done well in addressing the challenge.
Grains including rice, corn as well as wheat, are now sold at exorbitant prices. The price of beans has reportedly hit over N400 currently – the highest in the nation’s history.
Other food items such as yam, garri, noodles, bread, flour, milk, meat, fish, among others, are some of the food items whose prices have hit the rooftop under the present Tinubu-led federal government.
There are virtually no more alternatives for the average Nigerian to resort to.
Although the recent move by Tinubu to remove tariffs on imported food items is welcome. Though the move is not enough to address the issue, it is however, expected to crash the prices of some key food items in the meantime as the solution actually lies in increased food production.
Against this background, we urge governments at all levels to adopt agricultural policies that would bring about increased food protection in the country.
Imo State Government under Governor Hope Uzodinma should work out a blue print (that is, where none is existent) to up food production as the state is reportedly muted as one of the states with very high food prices.
At the moment, Uzodinma can increase budgetary allocation to agriculture via a supplementary appropriation bill, including collaboration with big stakeholders in the agriculture sector as well as the real farmers in Imo and beyond.
The prevailing circumstances evident in high cost of food items, have made agriculture a serious issue that deserves the right attention presently.