There are indications that the prices of food items in Nigeria will reduce further soon to ease the challenges of consumers in the country. This follows the step being taken by the Federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS). The step involved efforts to reduce food prices, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Federal Executive Council to act swiftly on practical measures.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, announced the move on Wednesday in Abuja during a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
He explained that the order focuses on securing safe passage for farm produce across transport routes to lower logistics costs, a key factor driving food prices nationwide.
The workshop, themed “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” drew contributions from Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; former presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
Abdullahi linked the directive to Tinubu’s broader vision of food security, stressing that the goal goes beyond production to include affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
He said, “The President has given a matching order with a federal executive council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country.”
That is not the only measure being taken towards ensuring reduction in food prices and increase in food production. The minister also revealed that the government is preparing to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme aimed at boosting farm productivity.
To augment that initiative, the minister said that government will be putting in place a cooperative reform initiative that will mobilise resources and empower rural farmers to expand their economic activities.
He said, “Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members.”
