Governors of the thirty- six states, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, have said they were on top of the situation to address issues of food crisis, economic hardship and hunger in the country, introducing different strategies and measures.

The governors said they had taken several proactive steps to counter the present food crisis as well as the inherent economic hardships.

In a report signed by the Acting Head of Media, NGF, Halimah Salihu Ahmed, in Abuja yesterday, NGF said governors were committed to ending the pain and suffering of citizens in the land.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had met with the state governors at the Council Chambers of Aso Rock Villa, Abuja in February, where issues of hike in food prices, economic hardship and others were discussed, with a view to proferring solutions.

According to the report of the NGF, Kwara State governor and chairman of the NGF, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, in collaboration with Governors Agbu Kefas of Taraba State; Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State; and Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State, pushed for increased crop production through the federal ministry of agriculture to address food shortages.

The report read: “In Akwa Ibom State, the government is planning to establish an agency which will buy food items in bulk and then sell them at cheaper prices to the residents.

“Towards this end, the Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno, has forwarded to the House of Assembly a bill for the establishment of the agency.”

Quoting the spokesman of Akwa Ibom State governor, Ekerete Udoh, the report said Governor Eno appealed to residents to be patient, while promising to sign the bill into law when passed by the assembly.

It read further: “We will buy the food items in bulk and ensure that they are made available to our people at relatively lower prices. The process will be transparent. I want to thank the House of Assembly for the expeditious manner this bill is being treated.

‘’I want to assure our people that we feel their pain and are working hard to ensure that food security for our people is guaranteed.

“In the same vein, in Kano State, authorities raided warehouses where traders are suspected of hoarding food supplies.

“In Yobe State, the government banned bulk purchases of grain from local markets to stop hoarding and exports across Nigeria’s borders saying it was to ‘stem the tide of food scarcity and high cost of grains’.

“In Niger State, Governor Mohammed Umar Bago announced a ban on the mass purchase of foodstuffs from local markets. He ordered security forces to confiscate trucks carrying products in bulk and “share the food to the people”.

“In Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah said his administration will eradicate hunger and poverty in the state and unlock the rural economy through investment in agriculture and agro-industrialisation.

‘’Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, said this during the celebration of the 2023 World Food Day in Enugu.

“The governor said the state government was intensifying efforts to grow the economy of the state from $4.4 billion to $30 billion through massive investment in agriculture by attracting investors, empowering the farmers and opening the rural economy of the state.

‘’As governors firmly respond to the multiple consequences of a food crisis,for the masses, it may just be morning yet on creation day.

“Also, the Ekiti State government said it has committed the sum of N1 billion to improve food production, especially to embark on land preparation, driven by the ministry of agriculture and food security’s tractorization subsidy scheme, and an input supply programme to support small scale farmers.

“Similarly, the government said it is also committing a whopping N1.2 billion it recently got as first tranche of the World Bank-financed Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support ( L-PRES) Project to transform the livestock subsector.

“Also, the Ekiti State government said it has committed the sum of N1 billion to improve food production, especially to embark on land preparation, driven by the ministry of agriculture and food security’s tractorization subsidy scheme, and an input supply programme to support small scale farmers.

“Similarly, the government said it is also committing a whopping N1.2 billion it recently got as first tranche of the World Bank-financed Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support ( L-PRES) Project to transform the livestock subsector.

“At the meeting, Governor Lawal assured the Swedish ambassador of his administration’s readiness to promote collaboration and sustainable development across various sectors.

“Sweden has expressed interest in partnering with Zamfara State to build long-term relationships and implement transformative projects for the state’s people in Nigeria.”

“Furthermore, the Ambassador pledged to offer Zamfara technical expertise in responsible mining practices, modern agricultural techniques, renewable energy infrastructure, and support in improving education and healthcare services.

“According to the report from the NGF secretariat, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, who is also chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in collaboration with the Governors Agbu Kefas of Taraba State; Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State; and Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, FMAFS, to interface with the federal government and push for increased crop production to tackle food inflation and food shortages in Nigeria.

“The report said Governor Abdulrazaq explained that the Anchor Borrowers Programme that was previously implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria did not achieve much.

“He called on the agriculture minister to work hard to meet the food targets of government, as this was vital for the Nigerian masses, adding that state governors would work with the ministry.

“According to the chairman of the governors forum, ‘we could not achieve much with the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme; it was very challenging. 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.

“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.”

“He explained that the governors had “come to the realisation that we have a new Ministry of Agriculture, because over the last four years, before this administration, the engagement was not too productive.

END.