The Nigerian Senate held an urgent debate on Tuesday to address the increasing hunger and hardship affecting citizens nationwide, warning of potential unrest. This follows a motion by Senators Sunday Karimi and Ali Ndume highlighting the severe food inflation and escalating prices of basic commodities. Citing data from the Bureau of Statistics, Karimi noted a year-on-year food inflation rate of 40.66%, exacerbated by factors like the removal of petroleum subsidies and currency depreciation.
Karimi
emphasized that the prices of essential food items such as beans, maize, and
rice have surged by 100% to 300% post-subsidy removal. He attributed this spike
to market exploitation and a pervasive “get rich quickly” mentality among
traders, leading to significant price gouging.
Senator
Ndume raised concerns about Nigeria's inclusion in a list of African countries
facing critical food crises, with over 32 million people expected to face
severe hunger between June and August, according to the Action Against Hunger
World Food Program. He highlighted visible hunger in the North, exacerbated by
ongoing conflicts and crises between farmers and herders.
Former
Senate President Ahmed Lawan commended the motion and warned of diminishing
public patience, noting that citizens are struggling to secure even one meal
per day. Lawan urged the government to take immediate action, including the
possibility of importing food to address empty silos and the acute food
shortage.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio attributed the food scarcity to consistent attacks by herders, bandits, and Boko Haram insurgents over the past nine years, displacing farmers and contributing to the crisis. Akpabio stressed the need for the government to rise to the occasion and mitigate the looming food shortage.
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