By Peter Omopo
Abuja, September 10, 2025 — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee to immediately roll out measures aimed at crashing food prices and easing the burden on Nigerians.
The directive was disclosed on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, during a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
Abdullahi said the President’s order focuses on ensuring the safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs that have contributed to rising food prices.
“The President has given a matching order with a federal executive council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” the minister said.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity in recent years, fueled by insecurity on highways, high transportation costs following subsidy removal, and supply chain disruptions. Despite several interventions, food remains unaffordable for millions of households.
Abdullahi explained that the directive is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—one that guarantees availability, affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
He further revealed plans to launch a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost agricultural productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative designed to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The workshop, themed “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang, and Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
Tinubu had earlier, during his Democracy Day speech in June, reaffirmed that Nigeria was on the path to achieving food sovereignty through policies aimed at boosting local food production and strengthening the agricultural sector.
