By Mercy Adewunmi
In light of the growing food insecurity crisis in Nigeria, the Nigerian Senate has issued a plea to the federal government to take urgent measures to address the issue.
In a recent session, Senators debated a motion put forward by Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West, with Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume as a co-sponsor. Senator Karimi drew attention to the sharp increase in prices of essential goods and household items in the country, leading to high inflation and a weakened purchasing power for many Nigerians.
Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan stressed the pressing need for Senate leadership to collaborate with the Executive branch to tackle the food scarcity in the country. While the recent suspension of taxes on imported food items by the Federal Government was acknowledged, Senators expressed concerns about the lack of effective implementation of strategies such as providing fertilizers to farmers.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio underscored the severity of the food crisis and emphasized the importance of the Federal Government finding a prompt solution. The Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to swiftly address the food insecurity crisis to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians.
The escalating food inflation and increasing cost of living have prompted the National Assembly to take a stand, urging the Federal Government to take immediate action to mitigate the situation.