Commendations have started flowing in for the decision of the federal government to suspend import duties on some food items brought into the country. The first, and perhaps very important of such, came from the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, (NACCIMA). A statement by the president of NACCIMA, Mr. Dele Oye applauded the decision.
BUSHLINK Monday reported that the Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Senator Abubakar Kyari at a press briefing in Abuja said the decision was in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to address food insecurity in Nigeria. It was a policy shift that brought relief to the citizenry, as the federal government has hitherto resisted pressures to allow for more imports and a removal of duties on imported food items.
Senator Kyari said the affected food items include maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas. These are among the stable foods in the country.
Commending the government’s decision to address the persistent hike in the price of goods and services, Oye, in a statement on Monday, said the government’s decision to suspend duties on food imports is a strategy that will mitigate severe food inflation currently impacting Nigerian households.
He, however, wants the government to take a step further to guide against an abuse of the policy shift. According to him, the government should engage stakeholders in the value chain to prevent Nigeria from turning into a dumping site for importers.
NACCIMA said, “This initiative represents a significant step towards mitigating the severe food inflation currently impacting Nigerian households.
“However, while we applaud these measures, it is imperative that the government immediately engages with stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.
“This engagement is crucial to ensure that Nigeria is not turned into a dumping ground for commodities where we already have reasonable self-sufficiency. Protecting local investments and sustaining the growth of our agricultural sector must remain a priority”,