Ndume: Tinubu’s food security initiatives will reduce prices

Ali Ndume, the senator representing Borno south, says President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a national emergency on food security will help bring down the prices of food.

Tinubu, represented by George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), made the declaration in Abuja on Monday while opening the 6th African regional conference on irrigation and drainage.

The president called for expanded irrigation infrastructure and participatory water resource management nationwide.

He said Nigeria has over 3.1 million hectares of irrigable land, particularly around key river basins such as the Niger and Benue.

In July 2024, Tinubu made a similar pronouncement after meeting with agriculture stakeholders, directing the immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to ease the impact of petrol subsidy removal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ndume commended the president’s decision, noting that “giving the needed impetus to food production would go a long way in bringing down the prices of farm produce in the market”.

The senator also called for the creation of a department of government efficiency to be supervised directly by the SGF’s office.

He said such a department would ensure that ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) comply strictly with budget implementation and promote positive government policies.

Ndume urged state governors to emulate Babagana Zulum, who declared a state of emergency on food security in Borno and provided thousands of tractors, irrigation equipment, and fertiliser at subsidised rates to farmers.

He also appealed to Tinubu to declare similar emergencies on the economy and national security to drive growth.

“The federal government must pay attention to the rate of inflation and bring it down,” he said.

“It must also ensure stability of the naira against the greenback since we are an import-dependent country.

“In this case, the Tinubu administration must exploit the opportunities in BRICS, since Nigeria is now a member.

“We can trade with the Chinese yuan, rather than this concentration and undue relevance given to the dollar.”

In his Ramadan message on February 28, the president said his administration’s policies have started yielding “positive results,” noting that the country is witnessing “gradual stabilisation”.

Tinubu added that the foreign exchange rate has started “stabilising” and prices of food items are “now downward”.