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 (FEC) 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.
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.
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.
