Economy
Buhari to CBN: Don’t give Kobo for food, fertilizer imports
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria ”not to issue a kobo” of the country’s reserves for the importation of food items and fertilizer.
Malam Garba Shehu, one of the President’s spokesmen, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the president gave the order at a meeting of the National Food Security Council at the State House, Abuja.
According to the president, the order has become imperative as the Federal Government rolls out the Economic Sustainability Plan and sets goal for National Food Security.
Buhari restated his earlier verbal directive to the apex bank, saying he would pass it down in writing that ”nobody importing food should be given money.”
While emphasizing the need to boost local agriculture, the president said:
”From only three operating in the country, we have 33 fertilizer blending plants now working.
”We will not pay a kobo of our foreign reserves to import fertilizer. We will empower local producers.”
He also directed that blenders of fertilizer should convey products directly to state governments so as to skip the cartel of transporters undermining the efforts to successfully deliver the products to users at reasonable costs.
The president advised private businesses bent on food importation to source their foreign exchange independently.
”Use your money to compete with our farmers instead of using foreign reserves to bring in compromised food items to divest the efforts of our farmers.
”We have a lot of able-bodied young people willing to work and agriculture is the answer. We have a lot to do to support our farmers,” he said.
The meeting, chaired by the President with other key members of the Council in attendance, was briefed on the food security situation prevailing in the country.
Notably, the Vice Chairman of the council and Governor of Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and a Governor from each of the six geo-political zones – Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kebbi, made presentations.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed, outlined measures introduced by the administration to tackle the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation as contained in the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).
Among others, the minister highlighted that the government would facilitate the cultivation of 20,000 to 100,000 hectares of new farmland in every state and support off-take of agro-processing to create millions of direct and indirect job opportunities.
She also listed the creation of 774,000 direct jobs for a minimum of 1,000 young Nigerians in each local government and the construction of 300,000 homes every year to give a boost to jobs through the construction industry.
The minister said arrangements had reached advanced stage to provide 25 million new users of electricity with the installation of Solar Home System (SHS) targeting five million households.
Ahmed also briefed on the joint investment with the World Bank to provide intervention fund to states to improve health infrastructure.
She said to ease existing financial hardships among the people, ”the government is also coming up with low-interest loans for mechanics, tailors, artisans, petty traders and other informal business operators.”
The minister added that the federal government would equally provide support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to help them keep their employees and boost local manufacturing.
She explained that from the recently approved N2.3 trillion stimulus recommended by the NESP, there would be expansion of broadband connectivity to boost job opportunities in the digital economy.
Ahmed said it would also involve a planned expansion of the National Social Investment Programmes including increase in the number of beneficiaries such as the cash transfer beneficiaries, N-Power Volunteers, the Market Moni and Trader Moni schemes.
In his presentation, the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, told the Council that ”the nation expects a bumper harvest of food items despite floods in the north and drought in the south”.
He quoted the latest market surveys to show that the recent hike in the price of commodities was being reversed.
On his part, Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, reported the negative impact of the pandemic on the lives and livelihood of citizens.
On his part, the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, expressed the hope of an early reopening of the partially closed borders given the progress made with neighbouring states in joint border patrols – one of the key conditions by Nigeria for reopening of the borders.(NAN)
From Lateef Taiwo
The Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Major General Adamu Laka, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to ending kidnap economy in the country.
General Laka stated this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell in collaboration with the United Kingdom – National Crime Agency on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the centre had officially launched the State Expansion Programme of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell, bridging a critical gap between national security coordination and state-level tactical response.
The National Coordinator noted that kidnapping in Nigeria was no longer a random crime, but an industry being ran by sophisticated and well-armed criminal networks that thrive on fear and fund violence through ransoms.
According to him, the programme was aimed at dismantling that economy by connecting national strategy with boots-on-ground action.
He said the fusion cell was created in partnership with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to facilitate high-profile rescues and breaking up kidnapping rings across the country.
The national coordinator noted that kidnapping in Nigeria was no longer a random crime, but an industry being ran by sophisticated and well-armed criminal networks that thrive on fear and fund violence through ransoms.
According to him, the programme was aimed at dismantling that economy by connecting national strategy with boots-on-ground action.
He said the fusion cell was created in partnership with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to facilitate high-profile rescues and breaking up kidnapping rings across the country.
General Laka noted the cell had played key roles in supporting rescue operations, disrupting kidnapping networks, and improving interagency coordination.
According to him, experience has shown that while national coordination is crucial, state-level engagement is also indispensable.
“Too often, real-time intelligence, local knowledge, and operational readiness reside with field commands, while national coordination can only succeed when it is informed by ground realities.
“This is the primary purpose of this programme – to close the gap between national-level coordination and state-level response. Essentially, to build direct operational linkages between the Cell and state commands across the country,” Laka said.
The Good Governance Campaign Forum (GGCF) has praised the Lagos State Government for launching the “Produce for Lagos” programme, describing this initiative and its ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund as a brilliant solution to the food insecurity challenges the nation faces.
The Forum issued this commendation in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Rahman Suleiman, on Wednesday, following the official unveiling ceremony of the program earlier in the week.
The program aims to transform Lagos’ food system and reduce the state’s dependency on external food sources, receiving positive recognition both within and outside the state for the Sanwo-Olu-led government’s efforts.
According to Suleiman, the initiative is timely and represents a pioneering collaboration between the Lagos State Government, the private sector, the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company (LAFSINCO), Ekolog, and the Lagos Bulk Trading Company. He noted that this model is designed not only to enhance food production and logistics across the state but could also serve as a scalable framework for improving livelihoods and national resilience.
Suleiman shared insights from the Forum’s sampling of public opinion in Lagos and other states, indicating that people are pleased with the Lagos State Government’s strategic programs aimed at tackling hunger and starvation. He emphasized that a key component of the “Produce for Lagos” program is its data-driven approach, which will help address agricultural inefficiencies and strengthen value chains.
“Food security is a collective responsibility that we cannot afford to neglect as a nation,” Suleiman stated. “We are grateful to God for providing us with a leader like Sanwo-Olu, who is visionary, forward-thinking, and compassionate toward ordinary people.”
He commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for consistently setting benchmarks and leading by example in subnational governance. These achievements underscore the economic growth, infrastructural development, and urban planning efforts of the Lagos government.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu is a trailblazer; he has done exceptionally well, and we fully support his programs and policies. His work over the past six years speaks for itself,” he added.
Suleiman noted that this initiative, a partnership between the state government and the private sector, is expected to significantly boost agricultural production.
During the launch, Governor Sanwo-Olu also announced the deployment of a fleet of 150 cold and dry trucks—the largest of its kind—in partnership with the private sector.
Business mogul Tony Elumelu, who supported the project with ₦25 billion, stated that food security is crucial and expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between Lagos and other participating states.
Other prominent individuals at the event included Amir Kamel, Vice President of Afreximbank, and Michel Deleen, the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, among other dignitaries.
… rejects the creation of new states
A prominent youth organization, the Youth Bureau, has urged the National Assembly to prioritize genuine restructuring of Nigeria, emphasizing regional autonomy and the establishment of State Police without further delay. This call comes as the legislature reviews the nation’s constitution.
The demand was articulated in the group’s Position Paper presented to the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendment for the South-West Zone, which convened recently in Lagos.
In a statement signed by its Southern Coordinator, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Thursday in Lagos, the Youth Bureau also rejected calls for the creation of new states. The group warned that the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government contradicts their position, asserting that its implementation should be set aside. They believe only the State Government should have the authority to create local governments.
AbdulRazaq urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize comprehensive restructuring, as it is fundamental to effective governance and development. He encouraged the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendment to make bold decisions that will have a positive impact on the populace.
He pointed out that the regional governments established in the late 1960s in Nigeria facilitated healthy governance and development, particularly under the Action Group government led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the Western Region. During that period, significant advancements were made in free education initiatives, healthcare infrastructure, industrialization, and overall infrastructure growth.
AbdulRazaq noted that the abolition of regional autonomy by the late General Aguyi Ironsi led to a unitary system of government, which resulted in excessive concentration of power in the central government, a lack of adherence to the rule of law, and restricted resource control and financial autonomy for the regions.
The Youth Bureau’s position paper includes the following demands and recommendations for the National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendment:
Our Demands
We urge the National Assembly Committee to consider the following:
- Genuine restructuring of the country based on regional autonomy.
- No need for the creation of additional states.
- The formation of State Police without further delay.
- Recognition that local government is a component of state government; the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government contradicts this principle, and its implementation should be set aside. Only the State Government should have the authority to create local governments.
Conclusion
We believe that a decentralized governance system founded on devolution and decentralization will ensure political and fiscal autonomy for its component units and promote equity among them. We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize comprehensive restructuring and encourage the National Assembly Committee to make bold decisions that positively affect the citizenry.
Recommendations
- Decentralize governance in theory, practice, content, and character.
- Ensure equity among the component units.
- Guarantee political and fiscal autonomy for the regions.
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