Food Crisis: Army Deploys Officers to Safeguard Northern Farmers
The country is facing food shortages, leading to over 40% food inflation, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics.
In response to the start of the rainy season, the Nigerian Army has deployed troops in several northern states to protect farmers. Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated that troops have been deployed in the North West and the North Central states, enabling farmers to have a smoother planting season and potentially a bountiful harvest.
The inflation rate in Nigeria reached 34.19% in June 2024, then decreased to 33.40% in July, as per the data from the NBS’ Consumer Price Index. Food inflation also rose, with a rate of 40.87% in June 2024, a 15.62% point increase compared to the rate recorded in June 2023 (25.25%).
The rise in food inflation was driven by price increases in items such as millet, garri, guinea corn, yam, water yam, cocoyam, groundnut oil, palm oil, and dried catfish. On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in June 2024 was 2.55%, a 0.26% increase compared to May 2024 (2.28%).
The average annual rate of food inflation for the 12 months ending in June 2024 was 35.35%, an 11.31% increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in June 2023.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile agricultural produce and energy prices, stood at 27.40% in June 2024, up by 7.34% compared to the 20.06% recorded in June 2023.
The June 2024 Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report from the NBS cites significant year-on-year food inflation due to rising prices of millet, garri, guinea corn, yam, water yam, coco yam, groundnut oil, palm oil, and various types of fish. The average annual food inflation rate for the 12 months ending in June reached 35.35%, up 11.31 percentage points from 24.03% in June 2023.
Edo recorded the highest food inflation at 47.34%, followed by Kogi at 46.37% and Cross River at 45.28%. In contrast, Nasarawa (34.31%), Bauchi (34.78%), and Adamawa (35.96%) experienced the slowest increases.
On a monthly basis, food inflation for June 2024 was highest in Yobe (4.75%), Adamawa (4.74%), and Taraba (4.12%), while Nasarawa (0.14%), Kano (0.96%), and Lagos (1.25%) saw the slowest rises.
Experts attribute the food production challenges in Nigeria to insecurity, inadequate equipment, and other issues.
In response to soaring prices of essential commodities, the Federal Government has implemented several measures, including a 150-day suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas imported through land and sea borders. Additionally, it approved the procurement of 2,000 tractors and 1,200 trailers and established a committee to address the food crisis.
