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Tinubu orders swift action to slash food prices nationwide

President Bola Tinubu has directed a Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee to urgently implement measures aimed at reducing food prices nationwide, amid growing concerns over affordability and accessibility.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, revealed this on Wednesday, September 10, in Abuja during a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.

“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said.

Rising food prices have become a pressing challenge since the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, compounded by insecurity on highways and high transport costs.

Despite several interventions, millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with unaffordable staples. The minister emphasised that Tinubu’s directive is part of a broader agenda for food sovereignty, designed to ensure not only the availability but also the affordability, accessibility, and nutritional quality of food on a sustainable basis.

To support this vision, Abdullahi announced that the government will soon roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to enhance crop productivity, alongside a reformed cooperative initiative aimed at strengthening rural farming communities.

“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” the minister added.

With the new measures, the government hopes to stabilise food prices and improve the security of supply, particularly for vulnerable households hardest hit by inflation.

Food Inflation Stats Under Tinubu

Since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023, Nigeria has experienced very high and rising food inflation. At that time, food inflation was about 24.8%.

By November 2024, food inflation had nearly reached 40%, reflecting sharp increases in the cost of essential food items, including staples such as tomatoes, oil, cereals, and other commodities.

As of July 2025, the rate had eased somewhat following changes in the statistical base year and the reweighting of the consumer price basket; food inflation was approximately 22.74% year-over-year. This signifies a real but partial cooling from its peak.

These high inflation figures have meant that many Nigerian households are spending a much larger portion of their income on food. The surge has contributed to food insecurity, especially among lower-income and rural populations.

What Tinubu’s Move Means for Nigerians

President Tinubu’s recent order, aimed at ensuring the safe passage of farm produce across transport routes, reducing logistics costs, launching a Soil Health Scheme, and empowering cooperatives, targets some of the key drivers behind this inflation. If implemented well:

  • Reduced logistics bottlenecks may lower transport costs, which are often passed on to consumers.

  • Better soil health and productivity should increase supply, which helps ease price pressures.

  • Empowered cooperatives may improve market access for farmers, reduce middlemen mark-ups, and stabilise pricing.

For Nigerians struggling with elevated food costs, these measures could translate into smaller increases in staple food prices, more predictability in household budgeting, and, over time, improved food affordability.

However, much depends on the speed of implementation, security on transport routes, and consistent support for rural agriculture.

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