The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has announced that the prices of essential food items in Nigeria have fallen by up to 50 percent compared to what they cost before 2023.
Kyari shared this update on Monday in Maiduguri during an agricultural summit, supported by the Borno State Government and the German government, which brought together agriculture, health, and rural development commissioners from across the country to discuss strategies for a food-secure Nigeria.
According to the minister, this massive price reduction is the result of the goal of the administration to boost production, delivering farming inputs, and investing in rural infrastructure to support smallholder farmers.
Kyari challenged critics who doubt the administration’s efforts, asking them to focus on the facts on the ground rather than playing politics with the cost of living.
“Let’s be honest, how much was a bag of rice and maize in 2023, and how much is it now? What is the percentage? Let us not play politics with these things…Our responsibility is to translate that mandate into increased production, greater affordability, stronger rural economies, and a more resilient food system”, Kyari.
He stated that the government is pushing its 10-Year National Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan, a strategy tied to the Kampala framework, which prioritizes everything from climate resilience and nutrition security to agricultural trade and governance across Africa.
Leave a comment