News in Brief:
– Nigerian governors, under the auspices of the NGF, are working together to address food shortages and economic hardship.
– The forum hopes to achieve this through increased production, combating hoarding, and rural development initiatives.
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) announced that they are taking action to tackle the ongoing food crisis and economic challenges facing the country.
According to a press statement by the NGF’s Acting Head of Media, Halimah Salihu Ahmed, the governors are committed to finding solutions that will ease the burden on Nigerian citizens.
The NGF Chairman, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, advocated for collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to improve crop production and address food shortages.
Several states are cracking down on food hoarding to ensure food security and stabilize prices. Akwa Ibom’s governor mentioned plans to establish a state agency to buy and sell food items at lower prices. Meanwhile, Kano and Yobe have banned bulk purchases and exports of food grains.
On the other hand, Governors Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State and Peter Mbah of Enugu State are prioritising investments in agriculture and rural development to tackle hunger and poverty in the long term.
Additionally, the NGF Chairman expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s previous Anchor Borrowers’ Programme. He, however, revealed that plans are underway to collaborate on new initiatives focusing on improving crop yields for staple crops like cassava, rice, and maize.
Meantime, the NGF acknowledged that the devaluation of the naira created an unexpected benefit, as Nigerian food is now cheaper than in neighboring West African countries. This, the body says, presents potential export opportunities.
The NGF report highlights the governors’ commitment to working with the federal government and exploring new strategies to overcome the current economic and food security challenges.
