The Nigerian Presidency has inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to address the food security crisis and rising food costs in the country.
Chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the unit includes state governors, local government representatives, development partners, and other key stakeholders, tasked with coordinating all agricultural activities in Nigeria.
At the inauguration held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, Shettima emphasized the urgency of the food security crisis, citing the need for collaborative solutions.
“The nation is facing a rare food security crisis, and the sooner we come to terms with the reality, the better,” said Shettima, as quoted by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha. “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.”
Several state governors at the meeting praised the initiative, calling it timely for addressing the current situation in the country.
A State Of Emergency
This move comes amidst soaring food costs in Nigeria, with the inflation rate now at 33.69 percent. Stakeholders attribute the crisis to various issues, including insecurity in some of the country’s key agricultural regions.
In response, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security about a year ago. He emphasized the need for collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure year-round irrigation of farmlands and continuous food production.
“There must be an urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and guarantee year-round food production,” Tinubu stated. He also pledged to “engage our security architecture to protect the farms and farmers, so that farmers can return to the farmlands without fear of attacks.”