Senate Urges Immediate Action on Rising Hunger and Hardship in Nigeria

 

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.