- Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State represented the governors, highlighting concerns about the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) held discussions with officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in response to the escalating food crisis.
This followed protests by youths and women in Niger State, expressing discontent over the increasing food prices and challenging living conditions in Nigeria.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State represented the governors, highlighting concerns about the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme.
He said, “We could not achieve much with the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme, it was very challenging.
“We want to get to a stage where we export our food. What we have now is that because of the devaluation of our naira, Nigeria’s food is being exported to West Africa and is the cheapest in the region today”.
Speaking further Abdulrazaq alleged that the “CBN took over most of what the agric ministry used to do, and various trips to the ministry at that time were not fruitful.”
The NGF chairman commended the government for prioritising food production, adding that “whatever subsidy that is coming from the federal government will be improved upon by the states.”
Making the government’s intention known, the Minister, Senator Abubakar Kyari said the bigger picture food security seeks is to create and vastly increase agricultural production all year round.
“The issue of food security is a one-stop-shop and we need to concentrate on what we are doing. We need to concentrate on what we are doing for the dry season farming.
“The minister has come up with a programme on cassava, rice and maize and we want to engage in that programme and urgently make sure we improve on our yield and deliver to the Nigerian population.
“It is intending to create an agricultural sector fit for a nation as endowed as Nigeria with massive arable fertile land, abundant water resources and agricultural labour force. This visit is, in my view, beyond a courtesy call.
“This is with the cardinal objective of driving down food inflation, creating employment, reducing poverty, engendering economic growth and development, as well as promoting inclusivity” Kyari said.
Also in attendance at the meeting are the Governors of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas; Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo.