The Federal Government has dismissed claims that it imported grains to crash food prices, clarifying that the recent reduction in food costs resulted from increased domestic production.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, stated this during a press conference in Abuja to mark the 2025 World Food Day celebration.

He said the government had scaled up agricultural productivity through several ongoing programmes to ensure food availability, accessibility, and affordability.

Abdullahi explained that since the inception of the current administration, efforts had been focused on lowering food prices by boosting production across key commodities such as wheat, maize, and cassava.

“From 2023, the government embarked on massive food production under the Agricultural Pocket Scheme, through which we injected about 500,000 metric tons or more of various commodities,” he said.

“The large volume of food produced was responsible for the drop in prices.”

He clarified that although the government approved a limited importation window in 2024 to bridge the demand-supply gap, the imported grains had not been released.

“I will tell you for a fact that the imported grains have not even been released,” he said. “So all these claims about the government bringing in food to crash prices are not true.

“What happened was that when people heard about possible importation, hoarders rushed to offload their stock, which naturally led to a fall in prices.”

The minister noted that several state governments have also contributed to the national strategic grain reserve to ensure stability in food supply and affordability.

“States like Niger, Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa have stocked grains to serve as buffers during lean periods,” he added.

To support smallholder farmers, Abdullahi said the federal government is distributing farm inputs to help them remain productive and resilient.

He also revealed plans to institutionalize the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s “Every Home a Garden” initiative as part of the National Agricultural Programme.

The initiative, he said, would promote gender inclusion, boost food production at the household level, and encourage sustainable urban farming practices.

Abdullahi further stated that the government is promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices such as drought-tolerant crops, efficient irrigation systems, and agroforestry to mitigate climate impacts and strengthen food security.

Additionally, the ministry, he said, is implementing pest and disease control programmes, including aerial pest management, to prevent crop damage, minimize yield losses, and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods.