Nigeria’s Current Food Crisis to Persist for Next 3 Months, Agriculture Minister Admits

Despite soaring inflation, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi, assured citizens that the government is taking measures to tackle high food prices. He conveyed this during an interview on Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily.”

Food inflation in Nigeria reached 40.87% in June, a slight increase from May’s 40.66%. Acknowledging the ongoing food insecurity, Abdullahi expressed confidence in government interventions to eventually lower commodity prices.

However, he admitted that significant agricultural output is yet to be realized as current crops are still growing. “Agriculture has a time frame. Now, a lot of production is ongoing. We are in the rainy season and if you look at the fields, there is a lot of cropping going on. Those croppings are not food. They will only translate to food after three months,” he explained.

Abdullahi emphasized the need to enhance dry season farming, noting that Nigeria has historically relied too heavily on rainy-season agriculture. To alleviate immediate food shortages, the government has removed import duties on rice, maize, and cowpeas and introduced a 150-day duty-free import window for various food commodities.

Despite these efforts, the minister acknowledged that food insufficiency concerns may persist until the new crops are harvested, which could take up to three months. The rising inflation continues to create uncertainty and apprehension among Nigerians.