The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, shared some important information during a meeting with journalists in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
He talked about the Nigerian government’s plans to lower the high prices of food in the country. The government aims to do this by starting projects and initiatives.
One of these initiatives is the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and AgroPocket (NAGS-AP), which has already registered farmers for summer farming.
He said “In Jigawa state, 120,000 hectares of wheat have been planted, thanks to the African Development Bank (AfDB) for providing 50% free agriculture scheme.”
Additionally, there are plans to farm over 150,000 hectares of rice, maize, and other crops, which will involve around 300,000 farmers.
The government is also getting support from international non-profit organizations to help lower food prices.
The Minister mentioned that controlling the export of food from the country’s borders will help prevent illegal migrants and ensure that Nigeria benefits from exporting food.
The ministry has also decided to distribute 42,000 tonnes of grains to people with low incomes to help them cope with rising food prices and shortages.
The focus is on balancing agriculture to increase food production and reduce post-harvest losses. These efforts are particularly important as inflation in the country has risen sharply.
The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the headline inflation rate in January 2024 was 29.90%, with food inflation contributing more than 30% to this figure.
The increase in food prices was mainly due to higher prices for items like potatoes, yams, bread, fish, meat, and vegetables.
According to the NBS Consumer Price Index report, food and non-alcoholic beverages were the main drivers of inflation, with prices rising by 15.49%. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels also saw significant price increases, rising by 5%.
The government is implementing various strategies to address the challenges of high food prices and shortages in Nigeria, aiming to stabilize the situation and ensure food security for its citizens.
