The Senate has urgently called on the federal government to tackle the worsening food insecurity in Nigeria, which has created a nationwide emergency.
The Senate warned that growing hunger and poverty are testing the limits of public patience and tolerance, with people increasingly losing patience.
The Senate stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration must take immediate measures to combat the current food insecurity. It outlined several steps the government should take, emphasizing that the country could face severe unrest if these issues are not addressed.
Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), who sponsored the motion titled “Urgent Need to Address Food Insecurity and Market Exploitation of Consumables in Nigeria,” highlighted the significant rise in the prices of goods and household consumables over the past few months. This increase has led to high inflation rates, weakened purchasing power, and a general deterioration in the living conditions of most Nigerians.
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Karimi cited the latest data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, showing that food inflation skyrocketed to 40.66% on a year-on-year basis, a significant increase from the 24.82% recorded in May 2023. He noted that prices of essential food items such as beans, maize, rice, yam, tomatoes, and onions have risen by over 100% to 300%, exacerbating the crisis.
The Senate acknowledged that insecurity in food-producing regions, poor infrastructure, increased transportation costs due to the removal of fuel subsidies, and the depreciation of the naira are contributing factors.
However, it also accused merchants, traders, and retailers of exploiting the situation to make supernormal profits, further aggravating the crisis.
As an emergency solution, the Senate disclosed that the Federal Government has deployed 60 trucks of fertilizer to each of the 36 states, with two trucks allocated per Senator and one truck per House of Representatives member.
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Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), co-sponsor of the motion, warned that Nigeria is now listed among countries facing severe food insecurity. He stressed the urgency of the situation, citing reports from the International Rescue Committee and the World Food Program indicating that over 32 million Nigerians are expected to face a critical hunger crisis between June and August.
Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) warned that patience and tolerance are not infinite. He criticized the federal government for having empty food reserves and called for immediate engagement with the executive to address the crisis. Lawan highlighted the struggles of ordinary Nigerians, particularly those not in the civil service or business, who are fighting to have at least one meal a day.
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Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that the food insecurity crisis followed the general insecurity that has plagued the country. He emphasized the need for the government to take every possible action to ensure food availability and affordability, warning that the current situation could lead to widespread unrest.
The Senate’s resolutions reflect the urgency and severity of the food insecurity crisis in Nigeria, calling for immediate and pragmatic actions to alleviate the suffering of the Nigerian people.