Food prices crashed nationwide following President Tinubu’s directives – Federal Govt
Food prices crashed nationwide following President Tinubu’s directives – Federal Govt
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, says President Bola Tinubu’s emergency interventions on food security are already paying off, claiming food prices “have crashed.”
Speaking on Arise News’ *Day Break* on Friday morning, Kyari defended the government’s approach, which blends production support with short-term importation, describing it as a necessary response to long-standing “structural imbalances” in the nation’s agricultural sector.
“There are tools if you want to take care of the structural imbalances in the agricultural sector,” Kyari said.
“I have said it before—even the former President of the African Development Bank during his tenure, he also imported. There are tools to manage what you already have.”
He noted that Tinubu inherited a difficult situation in 2023 when the president declared a state of emergency on food security, describing it as a “clarion call” to rescue the sector.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came at a time when there was huge structural default in terms of food security and that is why he had to declare the clarion call and emergency on food security in July 2023,” the minister explained.
“Food availability, food security is a matter of entrepreneurial availability, supply and demand. In Nigeria so much availability and demand were not there, and part of the reason for the intervention was to ramp up production and at the same time import to make up the difference, because we do not have absolute production for all food crops that we have. Rice, for example—we have about 15% gap in what we can supply and what we have in the country.”
Kyari explained that the government’s temporary importation policy was designed solely to stabilise prices, stressing that it would not undermine or discourage local farmers.
“The importation window was only for six months, and it has come and gone. And that was the amount that was demanded. When you look at the global demand field, it is not enough to make farmers discouraged with agricultural production,” he said.
The minister highlighted some of the interventions rolled out alongside imports, including large-scale fertiliser distribution.
“For example, while that was going on, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the Central Bank to release 2 million bags of fertiliser to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for onward delivery free of charge at zero cost, and that was done,” Kyari disclosed.
“So at the end of the day, when you look at it, there were so many interventions. We had so many programmes that supported farmers with fertiliser at 50%. So, there was a lot of production in 2024.”
The minister concluded by stressing that the interventions had already begun to impact the market positively.
“I could say boldly that prices have crashed,” Kyari declared.
Kyari’s comments came as a direct response to President Tinubu’s fresh order to a Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee to “crash food prices” through swift and coordinated measures.
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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas
JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, declaring that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, will be heading the council for a period of 2 years.
The declaration follows the passing of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the state House of Assembly, and the signing of the same into law by the governor.
Recall that the lawmakers had amended Clause 5 of Section 28 of the Chieftaincy Law to make the Council chairmanship rotational among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
While inaugurating the Council, Governor Makinde said he had consulted with the trio of the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun, with the three of them reaching a consensus that the chairmanship should start with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun
NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun
The Inspector General of Police (I-GP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, has assured that the police remained committed to community policing to ensure that criminals were drastically reduced in the country.
The I-GP, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector of Police ( AIG) Zone 17, Dr Ajani Musibau, stated this at the Police Community Relations Committee ( PCRC) National Leadership Training and Conference on Thursday in Akure.
The theme of the conference is: “Inclusivity and Diversity: the New Leadership Paradigm.”
He said that security could not be achieved by only the police, but with the support from the community.
The I-GP stated that security was a joint work and responsibility of all, commending the current leadership of the Nigeria Police for a paradigm shift towards modern policing.
Also, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Mr Adebowale Lawal, said that bandits could not infiltrate the state due to community policing strategy embraced by the command.
He explained that bandits would have infiltrated the state through Kogi and Edo, but intelligence reports from members of PCRC had been a great help to the police command.
According to him, the support and logistics received from the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun and Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa had also motivated police personnel to work earnestly.
He said that effective community policing was a sure way to curb activities of criminals, and implored members of the public not to relent in their efforts to provide police and other security agencies with useful information.
Lawal also commended other conventional security agencies, forest guards and vigilantes for their support to the police in fighting bandits
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PCRC, Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji said that the conference was to strengthen leaders of PCRC in the South-West zone and encourage them to redouble their efforts and support in fighting crimes.
According to Mogaji, the occasion also enabled the association to appreciate Gov. Aiyedatiwa, I-GP, the AIG Zone 17 and the state Commissioner of Police.
He advised the participants to moblise other members of PCRC and orientate them on their roles to continue to fight crime in the country.
The PCRC national chairman asked Nigerians to respect the dignity of police and to be civil when interacting with them.
Mogaji said that the leadership training would be replicated in other geo-political zones of the country.
Also, Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Mr Gbenga Atiba, commended the PCRC , AIG Zone 17, and the Commissioner of Police for their unrelenting efforts to guarantee peace across the state.
Aiyedatiwa promised that the state government would give PCRC attention and continue to support police and other security agencies with appropriate logistics that would make policing more effective.
A guest lecturer, Comrade Yinka Folarin asked members of the public to give respect and dignity to members of the police, saying that they also had rights that must be respected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PCRC honoured Gov. Aiyedatiwa, AIG Zone 17 and the Commissioner of Police with awards. (NAN)
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Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told
Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for improved welfare packages for armed forces personnel and all members of the security and intelligence community to aid their effectiveness and efficiency.
National Chairman of PDP, Tanimu Turaki, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Thursday to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.
Turaki also urged the Federal Government to adequately fund security agencies to effectively neutralise those he described as agents of insecurity, and restore peace to the country.
He expressed PDP’s condolences to the families of members of the armed forces who died in active service while executing their mandate of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“On a day like this, we acknowledge that they paid the supreme price for the continuous existence of our country.
“We advise all actors, whether state or non-state, not to engage in actions capable of destabilising the country.
“In honour of those who have died to keep our country safe, we pray that their deaths may not be in vain and their labours not forgotten,” Turaki said.(NAN)
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