The Nigerian Presidency has inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to address the pressing food security crisis and the escalating cost of food items in Nigeria.
This unit, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, includes state governors, local government representatives, development partners, and other key stakeholders, and is tasked with coordinating all agricultural activities across the country.
During the inauguration at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Vice President Shettima emphasized the urgency of the situation, quoting President Bola Tinubu’s directive. “The nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with the reality, the better,” Shettima’s spokesman Stanley Nkwocha quoted him as saying. “Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment and this is why all hands have to be on deck. We are in a food security crisis but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing.”
State governors present at the meeting lauded the initiative, describing it as a timely and necessary response to the current challenges facing the country.
State of Emergency
This move comes amidst soaring food prices in Nigeria, with the inflation rate now at 33.69 percent. Various stakeholders have attributed the rise to multiple factors, including insecurity, with armed groups disrupting agricultural activities in key food-producing regions.
In response to these challenges, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security about a year ago. He stressed the need for a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure year-round food production through adequate irrigation.
“There must be an urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is produced all year round,” President Tinubu was quoted as saying. He also committed to bolstering the country’s security apparatus to protect farmers and farmlands from attacks, enabling farmers to work without fear.
Conclusion
The PFSCU represents a strategic effort by the Nigerian government to address food security challenges through collaborative efforts and coordinated agricultural activities. With support from various levels of government and development partners, the unit aims to stabilize food prices and ensure a steady supply of food across the nation.
