Fix insecurity, tackle economy to avert more food riots

After eight months in office, the government of President Bola Tinubu is yet to demonstrate seriousness in dealing with the critical issues of insecurity and the economy.

The net output of the slow delivery is the palpable misery and squalor across the country, forcing citizens to voice out their frustrations in food protests.

In Minna, women went to town to protest rising food prices and worsening economy, leading to the arrest of some protesters. There were mild protests in Kano and in a few other places, signifying that Nigerians are getting tired with the government’s slow handling of the inflationary trend, which makes it hard for families to feed and attend to other daily needs.

It is important to remind the government that the living condition of Nigerians today is worse than when he came on board on May 29, 2023. Prices of staple food items have recorded astronomical increases between then and now. Rice, beans, yam and protein products have gone way up.

Pharmaceutical products and medicine are going out of reach of ordinary Nigerians, particularly retirees and old people. Prices of building materials have increased several times, with cement now selling for about N8,000 at some locations.

And it is all traceable to the twin economic policies of fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the local currency vis a vis the dollar and other international currencies. The removal of subsidy on imported petrol caused pump prices to increase from less than N200 per litre to around N600 depending on the location. This has affected transportation with citizens paying more for shuttles and logistics.

On the other hand, the floating of the naira has seen the local currency trading at above N1,500 to the dollar officially and a wider margin in the parallel market. For an import-dependent country, Nigerians have to pay more on imported items that have no local substitutes. For those with local substitutes, logistics and other costs have pushed prices way beyond what ordinary citizens can afford.

To compound matters, promises made by the government to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy on citizens have not yielded expected results. In August 2023, the Federal Government approved N5 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory to procure trucks of rice for distribution to citizens. It is not clear if the entire sum has been released. It is not also how governors put the sum released to use because many citizens complained they were not reached and those who got said the palliatives were paltry.

In December, it was reported that the Presidency had approved N100 million and N200 million each for members of the House of Representatives and Senators to buy trucks of rice and beans for their constituents.

What we deduce is that the interventions the government has announced to alleviate the impact of the harsh economic policies on citizens have not trickled down to the people. The inflation rate has refused to recede, instead by December 2023, it increased to 28.9 per cent with the major drivers being insecurity, cost of inputs, energy crisis and displacement of farmers due to insecurity.

It then means that the government must go beyond the tokenism of palliatives and sharing of food items to dealing with the underlying factors that fuel, hunger and despondency in the land.

First, let the government take note that Nigerians are not lazy people. They’re hardworking and can survive on their own if the government provides the conducive environment for labour to thrive.

It should be noted that in the history of the country, Nigerians have never engaged in protests over shortage of food or increase in prices of food items. The resilience of the people is attested in the way and manner they triumph over economic challenges over the years. This government should thus be embarrassed that for the first time, Nigerians are protesting that they’re hungry and that prices of food, medicines and household needs have gone beyond their purchasing power.

First, let the government tackle the insecurity that has disrupted farming activities across the country. For many years, bandits and terrorists have caused farmers to abandon their farms. It is the constitutional responsibility of the government to ensure that the people are safe in the farms, at home and in the marketplace. Let the Tinubu administration not shirk that responsibility.

Let the government also fix the economy in a way that inflation is tamed, prices are moderate and purchasing power is enhanced. Government must make haste to ensure that the committee set up to work out wage increase for workers reaches an agreement soon and that the terms are reasonable while keeping the inflationary trend in check.

Government must explore ways of enhancing the value of the naira. This can only be done through enhanced production. There are a hundred and one items the government facilitates for export to boost forex earnings. But the fixation on crude as the dominant export commodity over the years has proved very unhelpful.

There is an urgent need to bring down the cost of logistics, especially for farm produce from the rural areas to urban markets. State governments should take up the task of addressing rural feeder roads to aid movement of farm produce. And let the government reduce the incident of multiple taxation on agro-products across states.