Urgent Need For Government To Stabilize Food Prices In Nigeria

By Mustspha Joda

Food is an essential commodity human and animals depend on for survival, without food no living thing on this planet will survive.

The most common food consume by Nigerians include maize, rice, Guinea corn, yam, cassava, millet among others.

Due to  the role food plays in the sustainability of human lives, its important to human beings across social status can never be overemphasized.

Thus, over a decade now the price of food commodities is  becoming a thing of concern in Nigeria and the  most worrisome thing is the  instability in price of the commodity in Nigeria.

The pronouncement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that ‘Subsidy is gone ‘during his inauguration speech shortly after taking over from his predecessor, food has become a  burden to a common man in Nigerian.

The adjustment in pump price of petroleum motor spirit popularly know as petrol price  has generated negative effects on food and none food items in general.
The common man can barely have  a two square meal, a situation that have left many low income earners wallowing in excruciating hardship.

During president Tinubu inaugural speech, he disclosed that subsidy cost Nigerians trillions of naira yearly, such large sum of money could have been better spent on public transportation, healthcare, schools, housing and national security among others.
He also  promised to reform economy for the long term good by fighting the Major imbalances that had plagued Nigerian economy, believing that this steps will define the fate and future of Nigeria as a nation.

As a result of subsidy removal the price of goods  keep on increasing rapidly beyond common man control, poverty, hunger and disease is becoming rampant in this country.

Despite federal government intervention by sharing 5 billion naira to all the 36 state in Nigeria to cushion the effects, the situation remain worse.
Though the 5 billion naira is to reduce the hardship,   as every Nigerian is aware that if that amount  is to  be shared to state with small population density will never be enough not to talk more of  state like Lagos, Kano with high population density.

Thus, the Federal, state and local  implement interventions that will cushion the suffering of people across socioeconomic bracket and many more it doesn’t yield positive results.

The price of food continue to go up after the  removal of  subsidy on petrol ,the price of a bag of rice is now 60 to 70 thousand naira in Adamawa state markets, bag of maize is also sold at the rate of 55 to 60 thousands now.
This is applicable to many state more especially state that are battling with insurgency in Nigeria, the issue of food is biting harder in Nigeria which result to a recent protest by women and youth in Mina Niger state and some part of this country.

The price of grain in Lagos, Kano, Abuja  is beyond measured  despite efforts of government to address the issue.

The issue of hunger in Nigeria has call for local, national and international concern as a matter of fact, the  price of food keep on risen everyday in Nigeria.

More pathetic is that, even with the biting inflation no adjustments in salaries, wages and income of both public and private workers to meet up with the current reality.

Though the Federal Government is said to be negotiating a living wage for an average Nigeria worker but the steps taken so far by the government is proven anti people and seem not to go in line with the realities of things on ground.

While all this is going on the Price of food keep on  skyrocketing each day leading to mass burial of the most vulnerable that dies as a results of hunger related disease.

The common man had been suffocate for so long but no one know they will breath again.

Despite government efforts to  curtail the menace by coming up with some policy to subvert the negative effect, the situation continue lingering.

If this situation is not addressed, it  will lead to chaos, increasing insecurity.

No one can dispute the fact that issue of food crises in Nigeria is man made therefore, government need to  take a drastic measures to fetch out the perpetrators by declaring state of emergency on food in Nigeria.

Statistic have proven that in a recent years hunger and its related disease claim life of hundreds thousands Nigerian
and many major social vices bedeviling Nigeria is connected  to lack of food which is a silent killer.

Aside that hunger is connected to most of the social vices bedeviling Nigeria as a country such as  rampant  kidnapping for ransom, banditry, arm robberies among other.

In recent years there is multiplicity in insecurity and this come  as a result of higher cost of living in the country.
We hope  the recent constituted committee by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on tackling the cost of inflation on food will yield positive result.

Today the common man is not seeking for anything more than government to stabilize price of food items in the market in order to reduced hunger and  for this to see the light of the day government should not be left alone rather all hands must be on deck to come out with a lasting solution.
There should be need for all parties involved to come up with strong policy that will bring lasting solution to Nigerian problem of hunger.

Our national and State Assemblies across the Nation should enact a law by declaring state of  emergency on food.

The  policy on food security aimed at eradicating hunger should be abolished if its not  yielding any positive results. the  key players in the agricultural sector should be up and doing by coming up with innovations that will make food available and affordable.

Thus, there is need for government to subsidize fertilizer, herbicide and all farming implement that will guarantee government control over the food items in Nigeria and as well stabilize the price.
The stakeholders all over the  36 States  including Federal Capital Territory, should invest in irrigation farming that will also go a long way in reducing issues relating to food scarcity.

Government should come up with policies that will limit ownership and control of warehouses across the Nation.

In recent years the private individuals have continued to buy and stored food items in  order to make more money at the detriment of common man in Nigeria and such practice should be ban.
Government should come up with a policy that will restricts buying and storing of food in large quantity and any individual that store food beyond the limit should be sanctioned .

The buying and selling of food and none food items should be in naira notes in Nigeria.
The transaction using  foreign currency should be discourage or  minimize.

If this is achieved , the future of a common man is assured.

For the country to remain in peace devoid of violence , the Government must listen  to the yearnings, aspiration and expectations of the the people and act with alacrity to ameliorate the sufferings of the downtrodden.