The Federal Government, on Monday, announced a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities as it stepped up efforts to tackle rising inflation which had impoverished many Nigerians.
The initiative, which is part of the Presidential Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP), suspends duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas through both land and sea borders. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated that the measure aims to alleviate the severe food inflation currently impacting Nigerian households. He acknowledged the concerns about the quality and genetic composition of the imported foods, assuring that the government would uphold safety standards. In addition to the private sector’s importation, the Federal Government will import 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize.
The semi-processed imported food commodities will target supplies to small-scale processors and millers across the country. Kyari explained that the advancement plan was an initiative of President Bola Tinubu to bring about food security and economic stability to Nigeria. He noted that over the past several months, the escalating cost of food items has made many Nigerians struggle to afford basic necessities.
The minister stated that the affordability crisis in the food security system has been indexed by data from the National Bureau of Statistics, which put food inflation at 40.66 percent. He pointed out that the causative factors in the country’s food inflation figures include infrastructural challenges, multiple taxes and levies, and profiteering by marketers and traders.The government further pledged to ramp up production for the 2024/2025 farming cycle through sustained support to smallholder farmers, strengthening and accelerating dry season farming, aggressive agricultural mechanization, and collaborating with state governments to identify irrigable lands and increase land under cultivation.
Reacting to the announcement, stakeholders in the agricultural sector expressed mixed views. While some commended the government’s move as a significant step towards mitigating food inflation, others raised concerns about the potential impact on domestic agricultural production and the need for long-term solutions.The National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dele Oye, applauded the initiative but emphasized the importance of engaging stakeholders across the agricultural value chain to ensure a balanced approach that safeguards both immediate needs and long-term sustainability.
The National Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, welcomed the development as a temporary relief measure but stressed the need to boost domestic agricultural production through funding, security for farmers, and the provision of modern farming tools and machinery.The National President of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, Dr. Femi Egbesola, cautioned that while the move might help arrest food inflation, it could weaken the country’s agricultural sector.
He advised the government to declare a state of emergency in the food sector and stimulate proactive intervention to achieve sustainable food production and consumption.As the government implements the duty-free import window, stakeholders emphasize the importance of balancing immediate relief measures with long-term strategies to strengthen domestic agricultural production, address infrastructural challenges, and ensure the overall health and well-being of Nigerians.