The MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria has launched the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative (AMESI/METS), a nationwide effort aimed at combating hunger and improving food security across the country.
The initiative was officially launched during a national flag-off ceremony that brought together key stakeholders in agriculture and community development to unveil the framework designed to transform food access and distribution in Nigeria.
The three-day event, held at the National Institute of Sport (NIS) in Surulere, Lagos, attracted farmers from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The National President of MATAN Group and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Mr. Olakunle Johnson, described the initiative as a “spiritual project” focused on strengthening food systems from the grassroots level.
He emphasised that the program offers sustainable solutions to hunger by equipping communities with modern tools for food production, tracking, and distribution.
Johnson noted that solving local problems requires local solutions. “Many of the challenges in Nigeria will resolve themselves once food is abundant,” he said, expressing hope that increased food availability will also help address insecurity.
He pointed out that insurgency and banditry often flourish where hunger and deprivation are widespread.
One of the key features of the program is the use of a multipurpose digital identity card system, which will enhance transparency and ensure more efficient food distribution across the country.
Johnson called on the Federal, State, and Local Governments, as well as development commissions, to support the full implementation of the project.
He further stressed that hunger is a major driver of insecurity, and that lasting peace can only be achieved if all citizens have reliable access to food.
The initiative will use digital identities, community enumeration, and automated food distribution systems to prevent long food queues. Households will receive digital food security cards linked to Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and National Identification Numbers (NIN).
MATAN aims to enumerate over 200 million Nigerians, ensuring that children, vulnerable groups, workers, and households can access targeted food resources.
Community kinship teams will play an essential role by collecting data, managing food banks, and operating street-level feeding machines for both cooked and uncooked food. To ensure a steady supply of food, MATAN has partnered with large-scale farmers who will produce the food, while MATAN handles storage, logistics, and distribution.
In addition, the program includes land automation and community farming initiatives, allowing both landlords and tenants to provide land for mechanized cultivation.
Johnson emphasized the need for a nationwide push for productivity, urging every community to return to farming to eliminate hunger and reduce insecurity. He expressed confidence that the project will show tangible results within a year, boosting food supply, employment, and national security.
Also, speaking at the event, Vice President for the North West Zone, Alhaji Abba Imam, explained that the initiative follows a bottom-up model to ensure active participation from communities.
He outlined the organizational structure of the initiative, which includes the National Advisory Council, Women in Agriculture, the National Executive Council, and various zonal and state councils.
Dr. Goni Faruk Umar highlighted the IMF’s warning of an impending food crisis, which prompted MATAN to launch a grassroots farming scheme to enhance national food security.
The scheme will mobilize young people, provide them with farmlands, and buy their produce for subsidized distribution in local communities.
Former Gombe Deputy Governor, Senator Joshua Lidani, called the initiative “unprecedented” and urged stakeholders across Nigeria’s food sector to collaborate with MATAN. He expressed confidence that the project would significantly improve food security and strengthen the agricultural economy within two years.
Dr. Olajide Bashorun, Chairman and CEO of Miss Farms Ltd, also stressed the importance of uniting farmers to build a stronger food security system for Nigeria. Bashorun, who also chairs the Food Security and Sustainability Committee of MATAN Food Bank Foundation, underscored that collective action is essential to ensuring sustainable food production.
He explained, “By bringing farmers together, we can provide them with the necessary resources and support to increase productivity, improve incomes, and ensure a steady food supply for our communities.”
Bashorun also highlighted the social impact of the initiative, noting that hunger drives numerous societal challenges, from poor health to social unrest. “By conquering hunger, we stabilize communities, boost productivity, and foster social harmony. Food is the key to unlocking human potential,” he said.
He further elaborated that MATAN plans to register farmers through its online portal, supply critical inputs at competitive prices, and purchase their produce at agreed farm-gate prices to ensure fair compensation for their efforts.
The Nigerian Army has sustained nationwide onslaught against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, neutralising four terrorists and apprehending 53 suspects in recent operations.
A credible source at Army Headquarters told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the operations were conducted between Oct. 10 and Oct.13.
He said the operation led to the rescue of nine kidnapped victims and the recovery of arms, ammunition, motorcycles, and over 2,500 litres of stolen crude oil.
According to the source, the operations targeted insurgents’ strongholds, logistics routes, and criminal hideouts across the North East, North Central, North West, South East and South-South regions.
In the North East, he said the troops of 26 Task Force Brigade apprehended two suspected ISWAP/JAS logistics suppliers at Gwoza Wakane in Borno.
He added that the 156 Task Force Battalion nabbed a terrorist spy at Mainok in Kaga Local Government Area.
“Similarly, troops of 1 Battalion (Rear), in collaboration with the NSCDC, apprehended a terrorist collaborator at Augie, Kebbi State, recovering a motorcycle and mobile phone,” he said.
In the North Central, the source revealed that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke raided criminal hideouts at Angwan Kuje in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, nabbed three suspected kidnappers and recovered a motorcycle after an exchange of fire.
He added that troops of 177 Guards Battalion discovered an illegal mining site behind Gurku Hill in Karu Local Government Area and apprehended nine suspects who were handed over to the NSCDC.
“In the South East, troops of 34 Artillery Brigade neutralized one IPOB/ESN member and arrested two others at Mbaïtoli Local Government Area to f Imo, recovering ammunition, mobile phones and charms.
“Likewise, 143 Battalion apprehended an IPOB/ESN logistics supplier at Lokpaukwu in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia, seizing gunpowder, radios and other items.
“Troops of 14 Field Engineer Regiment, Anambra State, also recovered a locally-made pistol, 48 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and walkie-talkies after criminals detonated an IED in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra,” he said.
The source said the troops of 17 Brigade in Katsina State, repelled a terrorist attack at Mabai, neutralising one terrorist and recovered three AK-47 rifles and 11 motorcycles.
In Zamfara, he said the troops of 1 Brigade recovered 18 rustled cattle in Bukkuyum Local Government Area and handed them to local authorities.
He added that troops of 12 Brigade in Kwara rescued nine kidnapped victims along the Egbe–Okoloke–Pategi Road.
In the South-South, he said the troops of 16 Brigade and 29 Battalion uncovered several illegal refining sites in Rivers and Abia States and destroyed over 4,000 litres of stolen crude and illegally refined products.
According to him, troops also arrested 15 drug suspects in joint operations with the NDLEA in Edo and Lagos States, destroyed cannabis farms and handed over exhibits to relevant agencies.
The reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian army to maintaining operational momentum and improving security to enhance economic activities in line with the Federal Government’s food security and stability agenda.
Sir: In what appears to be a tragic pattern of geographically distributed misfortune, recent weeks have seen a series of fatal stampedes during food distributions across Nigeria. From a children’s funfair in Ibadan (Oyo State), where no fewer than 35 lives were lost, to Okija (Anambra State), where 22 people perished, and Abuja, where 10 individuals died during a food palliative distribution, a total of approximately 76 lives—mostly women and children—were lost within just a week.
These tragedies are not isolated incidents; they are reflections of national struggle with food insecurity. The rising cost of basic food items is not just a minor inconvenience in many homes; it is a crisis impacting a staggering majority of households. These experiences confirm the report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that a very large majority (71%) of the people were affected by the rising cost of essential foods, with 33% of households struggling to access sufficient food supplies, leading to skipping of meals. Understanding this will help understand the intentions of philanthropists and compassionate individuals in the present economic situation.
While it is understandable that immediate attention falls on the organisers of these events, placing the blame solely on them oversimplifies the issue. Their philanthropic gestures, intended to alleviate suffering, have tragically become a source of regret. This serves as a lesson in organisation and management.
How did Jesus Christ feed 5,000 people without a stampede? His approach was so well-organised that not only was there no chaos, but there were also 12 baskets of leftovers after everyone had eaten to their satisfaction. Poor organisation and crowd management undoubtedly contributed to the stampedes, but the root of the problem lies much deeper. The sheer number of people driven by hunger to attend these events highlights the extent of the poverty gripping the nation. This raises an urgent and critical question: why were so many people so desperate for food that they were willing to risk their lives in a chaotic crowd?
A major factor we cannot ignore is the impoverished condition of the people. Poverty drives individuals into vulnerability, and there is no doubt that hunger is pervasive across the land. Hunger has become a common denominator in these tragedies. After the stampede in Ibadan, one would have expected the incident in Okija to be averted, yet it occurred, followed shortly by the one in Abuja.
During elections, we frequently witness voters being induced with various items to support specific candidates. For example, during the last off-cycle gubernatorial elections in 2024, some voters openly admitted to being influenced to vote for particular candidates through such inducements. Politicians exploit the vulnerabilities of the people by distributing food items during election campaigns—a practice that amounts to deceitful philanthropy. This is unlike the case in the recent situations.
The recent stampedes also reflect our moral bankruptcy as a society. Greed has quietly become ingrained in us, fuelled by a capitalist system that discourages a model where individuals take only according to their needs. The current economic system thrives on greed, and this is at the heart of the problem. The state cannot shift blame for the systemic failures of capitalism onto event organisers alone. The capitalist system, inherently driven by greed, must be considered in evaluating these tragic events.
To prevent such incidents from recurring, we must work toward building a more just and equitable society—one that prioritises human needs and dignity over profit. Creating systems that empower people to provide for themselves and their families with dignity should be our focus. While we commend genuine Nigerians who extend help to those in need, we must recognise that such acts of charity are not enough. A sustainable solution lies in building a system where resources are distributed fairly: “from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.”
A non-governmental organisation, Atum Humanitarian and Charitable Initiative, has launched a N500m fund to support two million needy Nigerians.
The organisation said the fund will provide critical assistance to vulnerable individuals and families across the country, recognising the government’s efforts while emphasising the need for urgent measures to reduce citizens’ suffering.
In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, the chairman of the organisation, Ismaila Atus, said the organisation was committed to addressing severe hunger and hardship exacerbated by rising fuel prices.
He also called on the government to take urgent measures to reduce suffering, saying that existing initiatives are insufficient.
He urged other NGOs, business leaders, and wealthy individuals to unite and support communities in need.
The statement reads: “Given the current challenges in the country, the Atum Humanitarian and Charitable Initiative has decided to assist Nigerians who are struggling with poverty by raising N500 million to help two million people. The hunger is severe, and the rising fuel prices have only added to the hardships. Many people can no longer afford to feed themselves properly.
“I urge those of us with NGOs to unite and support our communities. We also call on the government to take measures to alleviate the suffering in our nation. While we acknowledge that the government is doing its best and that many initiatives were in place before this administration took over, we still urge them to work towards reducing the hardships faced by citizens.
“We appeal to other well-off Nigerians to step forward during this critical time; the people need your support now more than ever. It is essential for the wealthy to share their resources and assist those in need. Additionally, we call on business leaders and politicians not to hoard their wealth in bank accounts while the populace suffers.”
Recently, there was a protest in Nigeria tagged “Hunger Protest”. The protest was not as devastating as earlier envisaged or feared which, I think, was an answer to the prayers of many Nigerians who feared the worst based on the experience of the EndSARS protest. All the same, no one can deny the fact that there is palpable hunger in the land and many more people are “protesting” even if they did not come out to join the protesters.
I expect the government, at various tiers, to take appropriate steps to avoid a situation in future where things almost got to the “precipice”. In the last few days, there had been diverse comments in the media, print and electronics, apportioning blames for the present state of affairs in the country and a-times proposing suggestions on how to put things right to get Nigeria out of the woods. Incidentally, there was a particular comment on a radio station asserting that the “major problem of Nigeria, is bad leadership”. I believe that the “leadership” being referred to by the commentator is political leadership. If my conjecture is right, which, I believe it is, then I want to posit straight – away that the conclusion of the commentator is not totally right.
Yes, the political leadership, which shapes, substantially, the direction of where the country should go, has its own shortcomings. Nonetheless, the blame for the sorry state of affairs in the country should not be on it exclusively. First, there is an incontrovertible fact that a people get the type of leadership they deserve. After all, the political leadership is made up of Nigerians. They are not from another planet or environment and we cannot deny the fact that we made them our representatives.
Apart from this, there is also no denying the fact that the “followership” in Nigeria has also contributed to the malaise in the country. As earlier stated, to put the entire blame on these leaders is to miss the point and to miss the essence of what we should be praying and hoping for as we want to see things get better in this country. I will now try to identify some of the things that we, as followers, are not getting or doing right, which, cumulatively, have resulted in our finding ourselves where we are.
Let me state that not much emphasis is being placed on some forces beyond our control which had, to a large extent, contributed to the on-going food scarcity and exorbitant price of food items in the county. Here, I want to specifically mention the weather which had been most unfavourable to farming in various parts of the country in recent times, particularly in my own part of the country, where we are just harvesting “early maize” when we should, under normal circumstances be expecting “late maize” to start hitting the markets. This phenomenon notwithstanding, it is worrisome that many Nigerians are no longer indulging in farming or food production.
I am not talking exclusively of our wealthy co-citizens who could have invested in expansive mechanized farming. Most of us do not take adequate advantage of our conducive environment to attempt producing some of the food items we consume even in our small individual spaces. In essence, most Nigerians are not interested in investing their time and resources in farming or food production but in other ventures where they can make quick money or get faster returns or yields. This has resulted in a situation where the affluent in the society are mostly interested in investing in distributive trade, exporting of goods and other ventures. The trend is not limited to the affluent people alone or how else do you explain the proliferation of “shops” in almost all high streets where people do buying and selling?
How do we expect to produce the food items that we consume not even thinking of how to have some for export? The fact that many Nigerians are involved in distributive trade, has resulted in a situation whereby we have various ‘middlemen’ whose interventions, on the long run, lead to higher costs of goods thereby further escalating inflation. There is also a disturbing phenomenon whereby our youths are neglecting trades as artisans in various fields. Most of them are now interested in riding ‘Okada’ and ‘Keke Marwa’ and, unfortunately also, in Yahoo business to the utter neglect of other beneficial undertakings particularly farming. This phenomenon has also resulted in an acute shortage of artisans and, hence, the few available ones are charging exorbitant prizes thereby further increasing inflation and financial inconvenience on the populace.
The fact that many of the available artisans are dishonest has also added to the woes of those who patronize them. It must be mentioned also that the government contributed to this situation of shortage of artisans as they no longer invest in the setting up of technical institutions where such people can be trained. In some cases, the few institutions for these courses have either been underfunded or even allowed to go extinct. One can also mention the disturbing trend of vandalisation or outright theft of government properties or facilities. There are also the ugly incidences of oil bunkering, which have considerably denied the government of considerable resources while government has to commit further resources to combat this evil.
One can also mention the pervading irresponsibility glaringly displayed by many Nigerians in their responses to their civic duties and even inter – personal relationships. For example, one can safely assert that many Nigerians who ought to pay taxes and dues are not doing so while many are underpaying. Then, where do we expect government to get adequate resources to fund development? The pervading indiscipline in the land is equally worrisome; the rates at which people fragrantly break the law by not observing traffic rules and not even caring to ensure that their fellow citizens are comfortable. For example, many motorists on our roads are a menace unto others thereby resulting in avoidable loss of valuable time, resources and even lives. In essence, these culprits make driving on our roads very cumbersome and unpleasant.
Having established to some extent that bad political leadership is not solely responsible for the sorry state of affairs in the country, I want to posit that the political leadership can and should start to take some positive decisions/actions to put thing right. I will just cite a few of such actions that can lead to positive changes and kindle or renew hope in the country.
First, I want to suggest that government at all tiers stop funding pilgrimages. Recently, I heard on a radio programme that the various tiers of government expended billions of Naira to sponsor people on pilgrimage in the last three years or so. To me, this is most uncalled for since the issue of religion is a personal affair between an individual and God. Such humongous funds could have been expended to fund much needed development projects in the country. Unfortunately, most of those sponsored on such pilgrimages are those who could afford the cost on their own while some of them had even been there a number of times.
Another positive step which I want to suggest to the government is that we stop the habit of declaring too many holidays or work-free days. The resources lost in terms of money, time and comfort on such occasions are quite enormous. For a start, government should, henceforth desist from declaring separate work-free days for any festival that falls on a weekend. Another suggestion is that government should, deliberately, put in place methods of getting our youth educated and gainfully employed. Government should consider setting up of technical or trade institutions where our young ones can acquire additional skills besides formal education.
Finally is the need to cut down the cost of governance and also ensure more transparency and information about how the resources of government are expended. Our leaders should limit themselves to public expenditures that glaringly show that they appreciate the very tight financial predicament of the populace.
•Osunro is a retired permanent secretary/public administrator and resides in Oyo State.
Import waivers on food should begin to count from when implementation starts
It is unsurprising and indeed commendable that the President Bola Tinubu administration has had a rethink of its previous disposition to discouraging food imports into the country. The reason for this initial stance was a desire to protect local food producers and sustain the gains the country is presumed to have made in recent years towards achieving
food self-sustenance. The continually escalating cost of essential food items such as rice, yam, maize, garri, eggs, poultry, beef, tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and groundnut oil, among others, indicates that local production of these items is grossly insufficient to meet demand.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has put current food inflation at 40.66%, which is the most serious and hurtful aspect of the general price inflation being experienced by millions of Nigerians, to the extent that substantial numbers of people can hardly feed once daily.
In response to this emergency situation, the President last month approved the suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes on essential food items through land and sea borders for a period of 150 days. The items to enjoy the waivers include maize, wheat, husked brown rice and cowpeas. This measure is targeted at achieving significant reduction in food prices in the interim, before policies towards enhancing local food productivity begin to yield the desired results.
Understandably worried that bureaucratic procedures and bottlenecks might delay the commencement of waivers designed to respond to the dire food emergency,
journalists asked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, at a press conference last week about when the implementation would commence. He expressed the hope that it could start within a week, depending on when guidelines for the process currently being worked out by the Federal Ministry of Finance are concluded. The ball is thus in the court of the ministry to speed up action on its own part, to enable Nigerians begin to enjoy the envisaged benefits of the waivers by way of reduced food prices.
The food situation in the country in terms of affordability and even availability in some cases has serious negative implications for crime rate, social unrest and political stability.
Since the waivers are to last for only an initial period of 150 days, the earlier the implementation begins, the better. It would indeed be appropriate for the 150 days to begin to count from the actual day the implementation starts.
It is understood that easing the cost of food imports to facilitate price reduction is only an interim measure. Accordingly, governments at all levels must intensify measures to boost productivity in the agricultural sector. It is not encouraging, for instance, that since the Southwest governors announced plans, nearly two months ago, to collectively work towards mass food production in the region and mandated their commissioners of agriculture to work out the details, nothing more has been heard about the issue. So important has the hunger question become that there must be regular briefing of the public on steps being taken to actualise the objective of food self-sustenance.
Given the vast expanse of arable land across the country, and a largely favourable climate for agriculture to thrive, there can be no excuse for Nigeria to be in the throes of food crisis.
Of critical importance is the need for the Federal Government to expedite action on the restructuring of the country’s security architecture to enable farming activities resume in large parts of the polity where they have been disrupted by insecurity. The harvest for the 2024 wet season expected between October and November can only have the desired impact if farmers across the country are safe enough to urgently get back to their farms.
Endbadgovernance protests as products of multidimensional frustrations
Anyone with a clear understanding of the depth of the hunger in the land would know that nothing could have prevented the #Endbadgovernance protests that took off in several parts of the country on August 1. But, that it happened under an administration that is barely one year old, and one that has, within so short a time, rolled out a lot of revolutionary policy measures is regrettable but yet a pointer to the fact that something is wrong somewhere.
I said it on this page on June 2, in a piece titled “Food infrastructure”, that the government should prioritise food security. That was two clear months before August 1. Permit me to quote, albeit extensively, from the write-up since I cannot repeat the entire piece because I have to accommodate fresh developments.
The cause/s of the protests we all know.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself admitted that he has heard Nigerians loud and clear that things ‘is’ hard (apologies to Sonala Olumhense).
For me, that should be the spirit. I nonetheless don’t have problems with people who might want the president to go after foes, real or perceived, who allegedly fuelled or sponsored the protests.
But the government would be naive to ever think that there would not be foes that would work assiduously towards its failure. It has always been like that with us. Indeed, I had repeatedly pointed that out on this page.
Back to my “Food infrastructure”. Here I go: “Food prices are just astronomical. Unfortunately, food has no alternative. Human beings must eat. If any other thing can wait; not food. Even if one is on marathon fasting; like litigation, there must be an end to it.”
I also alluded to the giant strides that the Tinubu administration has recorded: “…in fairness to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government, it has done a lot in one year…
“But all of these and many more seem to have paled into insignificance simply because food is still expensive. Pure and simple. This is the singular veil that is blurring other achievements of the government and understandably so.”
Still on my quotable quotes: “Even in local Yoruba parlance, they say ‘ebi ki wonu, ki oro mi wo’, or t’ebi ba ti kuro ninu ise, ise buse’, both literally translated to mean if hunger is out of the poverty question, then the rest is easy to address.”
I also said Nigerians are not interested in figures of the tonnes and tonnes of grains the government claims it has released from its strategic reserves. What they are interested in is the result on food prices.
Moreover, no pun was intended when, in that same piece, I said the Minister of Agriculture “is the minister that the president must keep in touch with per second 24×7 because his ministry is the most important at this point in our national life”.
I also remember quoting an aspect of Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s statement that “if love is blind, marriage would open it”. “…If politics or tribe or religion is blind, hunger would open it. That is what is playing out in the country.”
But, in the midst of this hunger, we have a political class that is living like oil sheikhs, with their belts ever widening and their bellies ever protruding underneath well-starched ‘babarigas’ that seem their exclusive preserve. Nigerians cannot understand this sharp contrast.
Moreover, there are several government expenditures that they also cannot see to be in tune with the economic crisis that the government claims the country is going through. Some examples would suffice.
We started with the depressing news of our National Assembly members who insisted on getting exotic imported jeeps of about N160m each! Even in the prosperous countries, their lawmakers do not enjoy such luxury. It is only in Nigeria that people have not only turned part-time job into full time; they are also bleeding the citizens to sustain their extravagant lifestyle.
There are several other public expenditures that are out of tune with the economic picture that the government is painting.
Again, Nigerians are also sad that those who brought the country to where it is are still walking free. I wonder why the government is not opening up on some of the issues that it should have opened up on.
For instance, we have always known that our crude had been sold upfront by some of the previous regimes. But many of us do not know to what extent. I think it has got to the stage where everyone has to answer his father’s name. President Tinubu might have succeeded a fellow All Progressives Congress (APC) president, and one that he played an active part in enthroning for that matter. But what was the extent of the Buhari government’s crude sale?
Giving full disclosure on this would
rather help to put the record straight, and, more important, enable us ask questions concerning how they not only ate up the country’s present in their time, but also why they had to dip their hands into the pies of the future. In a nutshell, what did they do with the proceeds?
An energy expert, Mr Olabode Sowunmi, made the startling revelation on Channels Television that some of the upfront sale of crude are for as long as 15 to 30 years! According to him, even the present government has had to travel that route.
In truth, there may not be much wrong with this type of arrangement if the money is spent for regenerative purposes. At least we will always recoup the money and our unborn children would not have to pay only to satisfy the lustful appetite of elders who are not contented with eating up their present but are also eager to eat up our children’s future.
One has to dwell much on this because it is part of the reasons why the Naira is crawling in the forex market. A significant amount of forex that should naturally be coming into government’s coffers is not available due to these upfront consumption because crude oil accounts for about 75 percent of our national revenue.
The prognosis is really frightening.
Given the scenario painted by Sowunmi, we just have to be cautious about our optimism on energy security. After meeting Joint Venture Agreements, and honouring our upfront crude sales obligations, what is left is not going to go round Dangote and other private local refineries, not to talk of when the government-owned refineries also become operational. Meaning we would have to be importing crude to meet aspects of local production, if we would not be importing petrol. So, where does that leave us?
But if Nigerians must continue to bear this burden, then they are entitled to full disclosures on all of these deals. Where corruption is detected, they want those involved prosecuted. We know the gargantuan level of corruption in the era that some of these deals were sealed. Nigerians do not want to be vomiting what they never swallowed.
What I am saying in essence is that the #Endbadgovernance protest was a product of several frustrations; hunger just happened to be the immediate trigger. So, President Tinubu has to return to the drawing board. It may be painful that we have to start from the basics; that is the reality. It is not only babies that learn how to walk. There are times when even adults do after having their legs fractured. They start learning to walk with crutches. There is nothing shameful in that.
It is possible that some of the president’s overzealous aides, military and civilian, would want to show him that they are working by inviting him to come witness how they are administering ‘koboko’ lashes on the bumbum of the alleged sponsors of the protests arrested, after ensuring they have removed their pants. But the president should merely encourage them to do their work in accordance with the law and due process. His eyes must be on food security. And delivery of other democratic dividend to Nigerians, in that order.
Hunger was the sponsor-in-chief of the protests; pure and simple. The others were mere co-sponsors. They merely exploited the hunger in the land which provided them ready recruits to achieve their aim. Take away the hunger and they would have been left helpless.
Therefore, as the government is picking on alleged protest sponsors, it should also look inward and see what it is doing that is contrary to what it is telling Nigerians is the state of the economy. Both should go in pari passu.
For instance, where the president sees financial recklessness in, say, the legislature, he should not take his eyes away from it. This is not the time to talk of independence of the different arms of government. Nigerians have come to realise that it is where matters of perks are concerned that independence of the arms of the government are overstressed by the lawmakers. The two arms have always cooperated on several other matters. The point the president has to understand is that the buck stops at his desk. Nigerians would be solidly behind him if he insists on certain maximum standards where certain expenditures are concerned.
But The Presidency too must lead by example. Many of us were living witnesses to the military era when soldiers that we did not elect insisted that public officials would only use made-in-Nigeria cars. That was even when our currency was strong. How then can the people that said we elected them dictate to us that it is imported jeeps that tore into our skins to procure that they wanted? Anyone who cannot abide by the prescribed general standard should stay away from public office.
Permit me to end this piece with what Emmanuel Olusegun Stover said in the abstract to his book, ‘Stomach Infrastructure: Lessons for Democracy and Good Governance’: “But, to sum it up, stomach infrastructure is first and foremost about the people’s survival. It is a living, stress-free man that can enjoy the benefit of a modern city or world-class physical infrastructures. Thus, … building stomach infrastructure is about understanding the bottom-top gradual approaches in developmental strides.”
And, lest I forget, as I said last week, the government has to think creatively out of the box on how to address the issue of palliatives. Many governors have not been helpful in this regard. They simply don’t care. Yet, they should.
The drama is confounding. So is the blame game over the protest. In Nigeria, which prides itself as a federal country, some governors are blaming the central government over their inability to govern their states well, in fulfilment of their mandate and campaign promises.
During the protest over economic crisis, they received petitions from rampaging youths kicking against the scourge of hunger, for submission to the Federal Government, clearly isolating themselves as if they are nominal intermediaries with no constitutional and moral responsibilities to indigenes and residents in their states. Observers contend that amid the grave crisis, the governors forgot their roles as chief executives running the federating units that are closer to the people. According to them, many of them simply lack the initiative to embark on agro-economic programmes to boost food production and supply, regressing into the familiar rationalisation that insecurity has debarred farming practices.
What the governors have demonstrated is that the villain is the supposedly distant Federal Government that has allocated more revenues to states from the Federation Account, and not the governors who, having received the huge funds, are unable to complement its efforts at the sub-national level in many parts of the geo-political zones.
As the youths invaded the streets in anger, looting, vandalising, destroying public utilities, maiming and killing, the tonic even somehow came from certain state chief executives, who in their utterances tacitly encouraged the protest, oblivious of its tendency to be hijacked by hoodlums, thereby bringing monumental calamities to their distressed states.
The begining of the war was known. The end appears not to be in sight. Now, the cost of the rage is huge and burdensome. The protest takes its tolls on some participating states more that others that have shown discretion, caution and restraint.
Politics drew a wool across the eyes of many leaders, who failed the test of good governance in their states, but were pre-occupied with the partisan agenda of fueling riots, with an intent to demarket the Tinubu administration and weaken it ahead of 2027 polls.
It was also, partly, the fallout of an election that has been won and lost. Veteran presidential contestants are yet to overcome the shock of last year’s poll, whereby a green horn, as it were, came from the back to snatch victory from highly placed experienced rivals, contrary to their permutations.
Between now and then, governors of affected states are confronted with the consequences of inadvertently aiding and abetting a protest that had gone too far and made their domains poorer. It is up to them to face squarely the ultimate challenge of rebuilding the infrastructure destroyed by the mob, made up of ignorant school age children and directionless teenagers gleefully inducted by avoidable circumstances into the condemnable culture of arson.
Although politics should have, in the interim, ended with 2023 big fight for federal power, the bitterness arising from loss of political control by leading opposition parties has been carried over to the governance space, with their distraught leaders reiterating their commitment to a ‘pull down’ plan.
Instead of standing firm for democracy, they have maintained an inexplicable aloofness to the awful sight of Russian flag-waving civilian recruits assaulting national sovereighty and inadvertently demanding undemocratic change of government.
What is the motivation for displaying Russian flags in Nigeria? Did the organisers of protest receive inspiration from the neighbouring Niger, whose leaders have an axe to grind with the Federal Government over its condemnation of displacement of legitimate authorities in the West African country?
Why were demonstrations only comparatively effective in states run by opposition parties, if the protesters were not incited as alleged?
What is anti-Nyesom Wike protest in Rivers has to do with the hunger protest?
There was an allegation that some youths curiously called for coups during the demonstration. If they lack institutional memory, what about the adults who appeared to have teleguided them into action?
In 1999, civil rule was restored after a protracted battle against sit-tight military rulers, who derailed the journey to democracy. So, will Nigeria now go back to the past?
The conspiracy also manifested in a complaint by an opposition governor that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who addressed the country, following demands by the protesters, never consulted the governors before making the broadcast. The question is: when governors broadcast to the people of their states, do they consult the Federal Government? Can even the Houses of Assembly, which operate under the armpits of governors take them to task?
The PDP was happy with the protests. Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki addressed the protesters in Benin, the state capital. He spoke against the APC and the Federal Government, and praised the PDP and his government
In Osun State, protesters and jesters stopped one of them from criticisi g Governor Ademola Adeleke
To keen watchers, aggrieved political leaders are joining forces with vested economic interests to fight back, following their initial failed resistance to certain fiscal and monetary policies of the administration, including the stoppage of round tripping by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which are injurious to the privileged economic saboteurs.
Also, so disappointing to their personal economic calculation at the expense of national interest was the final removal of fuel subsidy, a game of indulgence that has created a club of nouveau rich, whose stupendous wealth made the generality of the people poor.
Gone were the days when allocations meant for developmental programmes were hurriedly converted into foreign exchange for private business for pecuniary gains. In addition, it is now unthinkable that council funds would be abused by state authorities, following the verdict of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy.
These semblance of radical changes fall into the overall framework of cardinal programmes for the repositioning of the polity for excellence.
President Tinubu has explained that his policies and programmes may bring pains. But the pains are temporary as the country will savour its long term benefits to the fullest in the nearest future.
Despite the huge allocations to states, many have remained poor due to inaction and lack of clues. For examples, many governors, even before the Federal Government increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, could not pay N30,000.
In the North, the Federal Government gave fertilisers to some states in aid agriculture. Only few have some things to show for it. An example of responsive and responsible governance in that region was offered by Niger State Governor Umar Bago, who has organised and mobilised farmers to engage in large scale rice farming to boost food security in the Northcentral state.
Although there is insecurity in parts of Niger, the governor has managed to pursue the state’s robust agricultural policy geared towards conquering hunger. The difference would be more visible during the harvest season.
Remarkably, Niger State did not join the protest, although some miscreants in Suleja attempted to divert the governor’s attention.
Other governors should emulate their Niger colleague. They should also draw lessons from past regional exploits of illustrious pathfinders of history, who as premiers of the three, and later four, regions, embraced agriculture as a priority. That was in the days of healthy competitions among the Western, Northern, Eastern and Midwestern regions. They achieved a lot without oil.
Governors of northern states should emulate Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the region, whose government was responsible for the groundnut pyramids and cotton beds. Agriculture was the mainstay of the regional economy. The late Sardauna never blamed the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who was from the region.
In the West, Premier Obafemi Awolowo set up agriculturural settlements across the provinces. It was in the days of cocoa boom. Farmers were organised into cooperative societies. From revenues from agriculture sprang Cocoa House, Liberty Stadium, first television in Africa, and many schools and health care centres. Virgin roads were also built. Today, in the Southwest, the neglect of agriculture is a deservice to the legacy and memory of Awolowo.
Even, in the Midwest under Brigadier Sam Ogbemudia, the military government established a cattle ranch in Igara.
There are vast uncultivated arable lands across the six geo-political zones. If properly utilised, with the support of governors, the country, apart from savouring food surplus, woulď also attract revenue through agricultural exports.
The onus is on the governors to be creative. As President Tinubu implements his programmes, they should complement his effors through their own people-oriented policies at the grassroots.
During his recent broadcast, the president admitted that there are pains. But, he assured the people that when the policies and programmes mature, their long term benefits would change the face of the country.
On May 31, 2023, following President Tinubu’s announcement regarding the termination of the longstanding PMS subsidy, the NNPC set a regulated pump price throughout the nation. In Lagos, where the fuel is offloaded, the pump price was established between N488.00 and N500.00. Conversely, in the farthest region of the country, the Northeast, the price ranged up to N550.00, marking a difference of N62.00.
A recent viral video from a well-known market in Benue State, posted by a serving youth corps member, highlighted the disparity in the cost of living. She reported that a tuber of yam costs between N2,000 and N3,000 there, whereas in Lagos, the price soars to N10,000. This is particularly striking considering the freight cost for petroleum products is about N62 per litre for a distance of 1,524km. In stark contrast, farmers and middlemen incur a staggering N7,000 to transport a single tuber of yam from Benue to Lagos, a mere 772km journey.
In an effort to bolster agribusiness nationwide, former President Buhari, early in his tenure, initiated the ground breaking project for the dualisation and expansion of the Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi highway. This project was undertaken with the anticipation that its completion would enable the ‘food basket’ of the nation to flourish and adequately feed the populace. However, despite significant progress and the completion of this road network, the spectre of hunger persists. The public has raised questions and demanded accountability from the government for the escalating food prices.
The Netherlands, with a population of about 18 million, stands today as a beacon of innovation and development within the agricultural value chain, ranking as the third-largest exporter of agricultural products. Recognizing the Netherlands’ achievements, the former governor of Ekiti State entered into an agreement to establish a dairy farm in the state, importing hundreds of new breeds of cows from the United States to ensure self-sufficiency for his constituents. This initiative mirrors efforts in various developing nations and aligns with former President Buhari’s vision when he closed the border. The closure aimed to boost local agricultural production for domestic consumption and to export surplus goods, thereby increasing the country’s foreign exchange earnings and supporting the oil, gas, and mineral resource sectors.
Upon assuming office in 2015, President Buhari launched the Anchor Borrower Scheme, funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which disbursed millions of naira to qualified farmers for the cultivation of agricultural products. The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), acting as the facilitator, engaged farmer associations to verify data before disbursing funds. However, the project faced challenges: some recipients began smuggling their produce out of the country post-harvest, and data indicated that nearly 30% of loan recipients diverted the funds for other purposes. Surprisingly, after nine years of the program’s inception, more than 70% of the participants have been unable to repay their loans
Over the past eight years, the government has supplied the necessary amenities, funding, and a conducive environment to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. However, a lack of collective patriotism has hindered our progress, and it is time we acknowledge our shared responsibility for the current state of affairs.
Currently, the digital space has become a battleground of tribal disputes, with each region pointing fingers at the other for the calibre of leaders presented in the last general election. However, if we are to be honest, we must acknowledge that our leaders are a reflection of ourselves. For eight years, the northern part of the country steadfastly supported President Buhari, even amidst multiple episodes of inflation. Meanwhile, protests erupted in several southern states, challenging the leadership of the nation, which the north perceived as an attempt to dethrone President Buhari. Now, similar protests, sparked by food inflation, are being organized by some Nigerians, with the northern states at the forefront. It is crucial for every citizen to hold leaders accountable impartially, without succumbing to prejudices, favouritism, or nepotism, as these biases only foster regional animosity. Selective accountability of our leaders for failures or incompetence is unjust, especially when directed at a government that has only been in office for one year.
In the midst of this turmoil, one must question the role of the governors, given that the land is under state jurisdiction. Despite the vast tracts of land and abundant resources, little has been achieved. In Oyo State, for instance, about five agricultural settlements established since the Second Republic remain underutilized. In 2021, Governor Seyi Makinde selected 3,300 youths for the ‘Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project’ (YEAP) in Nasarawa State. Despite the investment of billions of naira, the expectation for Oyo State to become agriculturally self-sufficient has not been met, and its citizens are among those participating in the ongoing national protests. Rather than confronting their state governor, they direct their grievances at the president in Abuja. To address the security issues plaguing some southern states, the late erstwhile Governor of Ondo State of blessed memory, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, along with other southwestern governors, established the local security network ‘Amotekun.’ While it has effectively protected farmers and the populace, this success has not yet led to the anticipated boost in agricultural production.
In the first year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, state governments have seen a significant rise in their monthly federal allocations, a result of the fuel subsidy removal. Yet, this increase has not corresponded with an improvement in the welfare of their citizens. Accountability at the state level remains elusive, as state governments have managed to persuade their citizens of a concealed miracle in Aso Rock, effectively diminishing their roles to that of mere overseers.
Currently, Nigeria is navigating a precarious situation where citizens expect the government to champion their cause, yet there is a lack of patriotic zeal to advocate for their own country. The task of arresting and prosecuting those responsible for food inflation remains challenging. Two months ago, a community leader in Ekiti visited the local market, acting on information that some traders were artificially inflating prices. Upon arrival, he was met with an outcry against traders who offered lower prices. This incident led to the abolition of all market associations, which were identified as instruments for extorting market women and artificially inflating consumer prices.
To fortify national security, the previous administration appointed key security officials predominantly from the northern part of the country. This includes the ministers of defence and police chiefs. The rationale behind these appointments was to safeguard the agricultural sector in the north, which is vital for the country’s sustenance. Consequently, the government allocates billions annually to enhance the nation’s security infrastructure.
The role of citizens must be scrutinized in the context of the food inflation currently plaguing the nation. Despite the federal government’s numerous reforms aimed at ensuring an abundant food supply and boosting exports for the country’s benefit, there are individuals within every level of power who hinder these initiatives from achieving their intended outcomes. It is not productive to lay blame solely at the feet of one individual in the presidential villa; history has taught us that nation-building is a collective endeavour. The current situation demands the concerted efforts of all patriotic citizens to engage in meaningful agricultural activities in their own backyards and farms to nourish the nation. The prevailing elitist attitude among Nigerians is perplexing, as it is unclear who we are trying to impress by abandoning agricultural pursuits.
The question arises: where are the 3,300 youths trained in Oyo State under Governor Makinde’s initiative, along with other young individuals across the country who have participated in various state and federal constituency initiatives?
Nigeria’s inflation rate has continued to soar, reaching nearly 33.20 per cent in March, driven largely by skyrocketing food prices and the crash of the naira. This has, unsurprisingly, unleashed severe economic hardship on Nigerians, manifesting in widespread hunger across the country. However, on the behest of Dufil Prima Foods Ltd., a private sector-led push to complement the Federal Government’s battle to push back hunger and bring succour to Nigerians, particularly the less privileged, has taken centre stage. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.
The Federal Government’s efforts at combating hunger and poverty forced by the significant rise in food prices across the country have received a major boost. This is courtesy of a private sector-led initiative to provide free food to indigent members of communities around the country, especially those worst hit by ravaging hunger, including free lunches to school children.
As part of measures to cushion the economic hardship in the country, the Federal Government recently commenced the distribution of 42,000 metric tons of food items to vulnerable citizens. At the flag-off of the distribution of the items in Borno State, last week Sunday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Tinubu was worried about the rising food prices in the country.
Interestingly, the administration has received a shot in the arm for its strategic effort to leverage the distribution of food items to provide succour to Nigerians across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). And leading the charge in complementing its battle to stamp out hunger, or at least, ameliorate the scourge, is Dufil Prima Foods Ltd., makers of indomie instant noodles.
Under its recently unveiled food support initiative, the food manufacturing giant provides free food to the less privileged in the country, including free lunches to school children from its Indomie Food Truck. It also donates free cartons of noodles to the old and the poor in various communities across the country.
Around the same time the Federal Government was inaugurating the distribution of 26,404 bags of assorted grains to vulnerable persons in Sokoto State, Dufil Prima Foods Ltd flagged off the Lagos leg of its daily food support initiative on Saturday, March 23, with the donation of over 200 cartons of indomie noodles to residents in the Ojodu area of Lagos State.
This was quickly followed by the distribution of free cartons of indomie noodles to hundreds of Nigerians in the Ajegunle and Oworonshoki areas of the state. Free indomie noodle meals were also provided to all students and pupils of four schools in the Ajegunle area. The schools visited included My Dream Stead School, Dabet School, Waves of Impact School and Dexzel School, all in the Ajegunle area of Ajeromi/Ifelodun LGA.
“Our target is to reach out to two million vulnerable people and the initiative will be done in the six geo political zones in Nigeria,” the Group Corporate Communications and Events Manager at Dufil Prima Foods Ltd., Temitope Ashiwaju, told The Nation, at the initiative’s flag off event. He also revealed that “It (the initiative) is a continuous thing for us, and it is free of charge. Nobody is going to ask you to pay.”
The flag off of the Lagos leg of the initiative, according to Ashiwaju, was in partnership with some private sector players, including Kokun Foundation Food Bank, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) committed to helping the less privileged in Nigeria; Dreams From The Slum Empowerment Initiative, an initiative dedicated to making the dreams of vulnerable people living in remote and desolate communities a reality through education, empowerment and mentorship.
There is also the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, a non-profit, private-owned initiative focused on fighting hunger, reducing food waste and solving the problem of malnutrition. Ashiwaju said the company’s partnership with the afore-mentioned entities for the food support initiative was a testament to its unwavering commitment to helping the needy in the society and also complementing government’s efforts to curb hunger in indigent communities around the nation.
The company, he added, has also gone a notch higher in demonstrating its commitment to supporting Nigerians nationwide, with Indomie Instant Noodles extending its arms of generosity to Muslims in the on-going holy month of Ramadan, bringing joy and fostering togetherness in communities in Kaduna and Kano States, for instance.
Ashiwaju said through the sponsorship of beloved radio shows like Ramadan with Indomie (Ramadan tare da Indomie) on Freedom FM, Kaduna and Capital FM, Kano, Indomie has become a catalyst for communal engagement, uniting listeners in the spirit of Ramadan.
Each day during the duration of the programme, three fortunate individuals had the opportunity to win exciting prizes, including the chance to host Iftar meals for loved ones, with Indomie graciously providing the feast.
Justifying what appears to be a robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) template for other organisations to adopt and replicate, Ashiwaju said rising inflation in Nigeria, which surged to an all-time high of 33.20 per cent in March 2024, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), compelled the need for the intervention.
Indeed, inflation has been on an upward trend in Nigeria, triggering a significant rise in food prices. For instance, as at January this year, Nigeria’s food inflation rate stood at 35.41 per cent on year-on-year basis, brought about, according to the NBS, by increase in prices of food items like bread and cereals, meat, vegetables, milk, cheese, tubers, fish, fruit, oil and fat.
The 35.41 per cent food inflation was 11.10 per cent higher compared to the rate of 24.32 per cent recorded in January 2023. This signaled a dire situation for millions of households, exacerbating the unintended economic hardship foisted on them by the unification of the exchange rates and the removal of subsidies, notably on petrol, since May 2023.
The excruciating economic hardship got to a head when Nigerians across several states, including Niger, Kano, Kogi, and Ondo took to the streets, protesting the soaring cost of living. Expectedly, however, President Tinubu has redoubled efforts at reducing the impact of the current economic down-turn being experienced in the country.
This must be why the Dufil Prima Foods Ltd Manager, Ashiwaju stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders, including well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations, to complement government’s efforts at bringing relief to vulnerable Nigerians worst hit by the economic downturn.
With hunger projected to affect almost 27 million Nigerians at the end of this year, Ashiwaju’s call for collaborative effort between private and public sectors to mitigate the impact of the scourge has sure hit the right chord with other private sector operators.
For instance, as part of its wider CSR thrust designed to cushion the effects of the current inflation on the most impacted population, FoodCo Nigeria recently embarked on an outreach programme that saw the company distributing food packages to residents of Idi-Ose and Ojoo communities in Ibadan, both in Oyo State.
“As a concerned corporate citizen, we are committed to doing our bit by working alongside local stakeholders to create a future where food security is a sustainable reality for all. That is why we organised this outreach as part of our wider Corporate Social Responsibility thrust designed to cushion the effects of the current inflation on the most impacted population,” FoodCo Nigeria’s Funmi Aiyepeku said.
Aiyepeku also said critically, the intervention also aligns with Nigeria’s quest towards attaining the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, which aims to create a world free of hunger by 2030.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has also commenced the distribution of food palliatives worth N15 billion across Nigeria, to cushion the rising hunger in the land. This followed the launch of the ADF Food Intervention Programme in Kano State, with the distribution of 120,000 bags of rice.
The ADF’s aim is to distribute over one million 10kg bags of rice across the 774 local government areas of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). “Our distribution of rice symbolises our commitment to upholding the values of compassion and solidarity that are at the core of our humanity,” Chairman of ADF and Group President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, said, at the programme’s flag-off in Kano State, recently.
However, the private sector’s push to complement government’s fight against hunger extends beyond the distribution of food items to vulnerable Nigerians. Some of them are also providing support for smallholder farmers who are the vulnerable group in the agriculture sector, in spite of the critical role they play in food security.
Some food and agro-allied companies that have not only partnered with but also provided support to farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, across the value chains, include OLAM Nigeria, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Stallion Group, Seedco Nigeria Limited, and BUA Group, etc. They are joined by some tech start-ups such as FarmCrowdy, ThriveAgric, Verdant Agric Tech, Agromall, among others.
For instance, FarmCrowdy has been connecting smallholder farmers with investors. The investor’s funds are then used to hire farmers, lease lands, and provide inputs such as fertilizer. Agromall, on the other hand, has been promoting effective interaction between smallholder farmers and other agricultural actors as well as providing digital solutions to optimise best agricultural practices.
Testimonies and feedback from beneficiaries of these food support initiatives to complement the Federal Government’s onslaught against hunger clearly indicate that they have been well received and their impact also telling. One of the beneficiaries of Dufil Prima Foods’ initiative, Mrs. Chinwe Oranye, a sexagenarian, confirmed this much when she said the intervention couldn’t have come at a better time.
“You people have put smiles on people’s faces, especially at a time like this when everybody is facing hardship. May God continue to bless you and bless Indomie Company”, an obviously excited Oranye told The Nation. Other beneficiaries, including the students and pupils echoed similar sentiments and were full of thanks and prayers for the company for the lunch treats and free cartons of Indomie.
