President Bola Tinubu has directed a Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee to address transport-related challenges affecting the cost of food across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed the directive on Wednesday at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents in Abuja.
According to Abdullahi, the President’s order is aimed at guaranteeing the safe passage of farm produce across major routes in order to reduce logistics costs.
“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,” he said.
Rising food prices have been linked to insecurity on highways, high transport costs following fuel subsidy removal, and disruptions in the movement of goods. Despite interventions, many Nigerians still find food prices unaffordable.
Abdullahi explained that the directive is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of achieving food sovereignty, which extends beyond food availability to affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
He also announced that the government is preparing to launch a Farmer Soil Health Scheme aimed at improving productivity.
In addition, he said reforms are underway in the cooperative sector to strengthen resource mobilisation 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 said.
The workshop, themed “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities”, was attended by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; former presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
Tinubu had earlier emphasised food sovereignty in his Democracy Day address in June, where he noted that Nigeria must produce most of its food domestically to ensure long-term economic stability.
