Approval of 500,000 Hectares Nationwide Food Cultivation Will Tackle Inflation – IMPI

The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a pressure group, asserts that President Bola Tinubu’s initiative to cultivate 500,000 hectares of land nationwide aims to address the increasing cost of food in Nigeria.

Chief Niyi Akinsiju, the Chairman of IMPI, made this statement during a press conference held in Abuja.

Akinsiju highlighted that the president’s strategy involves collaboration with state governments, emphasizing its role in “combating inflation and enhancing food security in the country.”

“As part of our evaluation of the nation’s economy under the present administration, we reviewed the national inflation rate, especially the food inflation.

“The latest of which the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported to be at 33.93 per cent for December 2023.

“This rate should naturally exert concerns, however, our findings have shown a commitment by the President to stem the tide of rising food prices.

“And ensuring food security by approving the accelerated cultivation of 500,000 hectares of land across the country in collaboration with state governments.

“This, in itself, is a commendable model of cooperation between the Federal Government and the sub-nationals,” he said.

Akinsiju expressed confidence that soon, Nigerians would begin to witness the outcomes of collaborative efforts between the federal and sub-national governments.

He further mentioned that to actualize this policy, the administration had implemented an irrigation program aimed at facilitating year-round farming.

Additionally, Akinsiju highlighted the group’s findings in the broader spectrum of agriculture, revealing various policies such as “waivers on the importation of tractors and farm implements.”

He pointed out that the government’s initiation of dry season farming in Jigawa and the allocation of N102 billion to the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADFUND) were steps taken to bolster food security in the country.

He mentioned that progress is simultaneously underway on the Kaduna to Kano and the Kano to Maradi rail projects. This, he emphasized, signifies the evolution of a genuinely intermodal transportation system crucial for driving growth and development in any country.

He praised the Tinubu administration for approving N50 billion for the establishment of the Pulaaku initiative, a non-kinetic approach aimed at addressing insecurity. He highlighted that the initiative focuses on providing essential social amenities like schools, hospitals, housing, and sanitary facilities in the seven pilot states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Benue, Katsina, and Niger.

“This in our view, is a creative and pragmatic intervention that will most likely change the narratives around insecurity in the country,” he said”

Agronigeria/Shakirat Sadiq