Stemming Rinsing Food Prices

The Global Hunger Index in 2021 ranked Nigeria 103rd out of 116 countries with a score of 28.3. Gilbert Ekugbe writes on the need for Nigeria’s Agric Minister to up his ante to boost food production as Nigeria enters a severe stage of hunger.

 It is no longer news that Nigeria and many countries of the world are facing acute food insecurity that require urgent life-saving food assistance. Agricultural stakeholders have argued that it is more urgent than ever to tackle the root causes of food crises rather than responding after they had occurred. 

In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimated that 12.8 million Nigerians would go into famine between June and August 2021. Hence, the need for economic managers to prioritise investment decisions into boosting food production.

Food prices have continued to surge in an unprecedented manner pushing more Nigerians into the hunger net. The prices of staple foods are fast becoming unaffordable for the common man on the street with many Nigerians battling to afford three square meals a day. 

A recent market survey across some major markets in Lagos revealed that a 50kg bag of Oloyin sweet beans sold for N35,700, an 11.1 per cent increase over the previous price of N32,125. Similarly, a big bag of bush mango seed, also known as ‘ogbono,’ increased by 15 per cent to N155,000, up from N135,000 while a medium-sized basket of tomatoes that previously cost N11,250 in April now costs N14,500, a 24.4 per cent increase, while a 50kg bag of garri now cost around N18,000. This is an increase of 11 per cent over the previous month’s average of N15, 000.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) food price index rose by 17.11 per cent year-on-year in February 2022, representing a decline compared to the 17.13 per cent incremental rate recorded in January 2022 owing to surge in the prices of bread and cereals.

The NBS added that the cost of food in Nigeria increased 17.20 per cent in March, 2022 over the same month in the previous year, representing the fastest rise in food prices since last December while prices of imported food rose 17.56 per cent year-on-year in March, accelerating from a 17.48 per cent advance in February. 

“The priority of this ministry under my leadership will be to ensure that we have the necessary policy direction on ground that will truly position agriculture as the mainstay of our economy as captured in the Medium Term National Development Plan, and Mr. President’s vision of uplifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

“In this regard, the National Livestock Transformation Plan will be the priority due to implication not just by security infiltration but its overall impact is having on insecurity in the country.”

When he assumed office in September 2021, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Abubakar, assured Nigerians that his ministry would address the rising cost of food prices in the country. But since the promise, not much have changed as the ministry is yet to have a clear cut plan on how to address this challenge. 

Although, the quest to achieve food security is an onerous task and would require the political will on the path of economic managers and inputs of agric stakeholders. 

What Nigerians need

The Agric. Minister must expedite actions that would translate to food on the table of Nigerians and not like previous promises from successive Agric Ministers. More than half of the nation’s population is in the hunger net as many Nigerians are unable to afford three square meals on a daily basis. 

Speaking with a market trader in Shomolu market, Mrs. Oluwatosin Kolawole, said many consumers are lamenting on the high cost of food as she has continued to record low patronage every passing day, calling on the federal government to urgently address the rising cost of goods.

“My customers are complaining each time they come to the market. The purchasing power of Nigerians is diminishing every day. I will not blame them for not patronising me because we are all aware of the current situation. The federal government must as a matter of urgency fix the problem hindering our economic growth before it gets too late,” she said.

A Resident in the Shomolu Area of Lagos, Mr. Yemi Adebisi, who is also a father of five children, lamented that the price of goods have increased astronomically, saying a pot of soup which ordinarily cost about N2,500 to prepare has increased to about N7000. 

“This is even with management. A fish that cost N300 some months ago is now about N1000. The price of gas, rice, beans, palm oil everything just mention it has gone so high. We cannot continue like this. The federal government has to come to our rescue before we all die of hunger,” he said.

Recommendation

The President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr. Kabir Ibrahim, said the Agric. Minister in the short term must resuscitate the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) while engaging farmers on a roundtable discussion and incentivise them with good inputs and some level of mechanisation.

He also advised that the minister must launch the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) without any further delay.

The Former Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Mr. Oluwasina Olabanji, said the allocation to the sector is quite low, urging the federal government to invest in achieving food security.

“If a nation is not investing in achieving food security but depending on other nation to meet its food needs, then the nation is destined for doom. You saw what happened during COVID-19 when other countries closed their borders to other countries for almost three months. So imagine if we had depended on other countries for some food items how would we have survived those three months? 

“Agriculture is very critical and the present administration is trying its best to achieve food security because they have the political will, but have we ever attained that period whereby Nigeria can boast of groundnut pyramid in Kano or boast to be the second largest producer of cocoa in the whole world. We need to invest more on agriculture,” he said.