Rising food prices
Life, for many Nigerians, has become nightmarish, following persistently rising prices of basic food items, and virtually all essential consumables, across all sectors and income groups. While prices of staple food items such as rice, gari, yam, beans and vegetable oil have gone up by more than 50%, the more than 100% increase in the prices of industrial and edible sugar, salt and other food additives, has triggered off a more than 50% increase in the prices of bread, locally produced drinks and confectioneries. The building and construction, and indeed, the entire manufacturing sectors have not been spared the soaring prices, what with the persistent runaway cost of raw materials, fuel, power, transportation, etc.
Though the onset of the farming season may have contributed to the shortfall in national food output, the core reason behind the recent phenomenon is scarcity of essential food items, arising from lack of a profound policy framework cap! able of guaranteeing food security for the nation. Various seemingly laudable food policies are, at best, inconsistent and ineffectual. For instance, the National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) was set up in 2003, with financial and technical assistance from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Chinese government under the South-South Cooperation Initiative, to boost national food production.
Since the project took off with the arrival of the first batch of 20 Chinese experts into the country, it is sad that nothing has been heard about the programme again. Also worrisome is the frequent resort to poorly-conceived import ban of essential commodities and raw materials, even when viable local alternatives are not readily available.
Besides, the poor infrastructure and the prevailing harsh business climate do not, in any way, support commercial farming: rural and urban roads are in terrible state, while the railways system is moribund, h! ence the high cost of transportation in agriculture; farming method is generally primitive, while storage facilities are buffeted by erratic power supply.
The Federal Government, more than ever before, must realize that a nation that is incapable of feeding its populace and ensure sustainable self-sufficiency in food production, is in danger of social unrest. This is why countries like the USA and Germany have not only taken farming technology to great heights, but massively subsidize agriculture to feed their people, maintain adequate food reserves and still have enough to export. Therefore, the long-run solution to the perennial national food crisis is for the FG to adhere strictly to the principle of true federalism, by divesting direct involvement in the procurement of basic farming inputs and food production to the states and councils which are better placed to develop agriculture.
Through a properly focused national policy framework, states should be assisted to design appropriate programmes to serve their peculiar food r! esource endowments. Also, more financial resources need to flow from the centre to the federating units, to improve rural roads and infrastructure, while giving adequate priority to modern farming techniques and the construction of storage facilities at local government levels.
The Federal Government has taken a commendable step by assisting some states to host commercial farmers relocating to Nigeria from Zimbabwe. But the immediate task is how to increase the supply of basic food items to stem hunger. This can be done by revisiting the various import ban and other negative policies currently in force. The ban or prohibitive tariff on sugar, rice, flour and other basic items should be eased in order to arrest scarcity and stem the runaway prices of essential commodities.
The Punch, Wednesday, June 28, 2005
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Obasanjo, food prices are outrageous Sometimes I wonder if President Olusegun Obasanjo and his men still have human feelings for the people they claim to lead, considering the economic situation of the middle and lower classes. It appears the President and his men live in the moon, hence the superficial pass mark they always give the economy. The economic situation in the country is so hard that the poor can no longer afford three square meals in a day. The reason is because the prices of food items that are largely eaten by the poor have risen beyond the normal pay package – and that is for those who are even fortunate to be employed at all. The prices of gari, beans and rice are just way out of the reach of the common man. This is one reason why children have been dying of malnutrition; while the adult population is now afflicted with hunger-related ulcers and other diseases. Nigerian ! leaders have pretended long enough that all is well, now is the time to do something about the food situation in the country, which has reached critical levels. Adesuyi Adekoya,5, Ogundairo St., Oworonsoki, Lagos.
The Punch, Wednesday, June 28, 2005
10:12:00 PM 
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