Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that the Federal Government has taken steps to address food shortages in Nigeria by procuring imported staple foods such as maize and wheat.
Gatekeepers News reports that this announcement was made during an Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary.
The minister emphasised that these imported food items are meant to serve as a temporary solution to the current food shortage and will not hinder local food production.
Edun said, “In the meantime, there is a short-term measure to import food. The government has already ordered procured maize and wheat which is on its way.
“It is critical that we do not disrupt domestic production of food, we do not disrupt farming in Nigeria by flooding the market with imports that now put prices where farmers are now discouraged from engaging in production and millers are discouraged from engaging in food processing.
“As a result, the conversations are on to see what quantity we can bring in without disrupting the agricultural sector.
“In the short term, yes, we are intervening through some imports and wet season procurement and delivery of the right import but in the long term, we must identify and put in place strategies to increase agriculture productivity.”
