Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the country on Friday due to ongoing food insecurity. He wants to tackle rising food prices and shortages, a spokesperson for the president said international media and news agencies. The president wants to give 12 million poorer households the equivalent of eight euros a month for six months.
Tinubu wants to fund the temporary benefit with money left over by the government from a recent abolition of fuel subsidies. The president also wants to use that money to supply fertilizer and grain to farmers. According to Tinubu, the temporary benefit will have a positive “snowball effect” on tens of millions of Nigerians, although critics describe the scheme as flawed and unsustainable.
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The relatively new president — Tinubu took office in May this year — scrapped the gas subsidy on his first day in office because of the high cost. The subsidies cost the government many billions last year. With the savings, Tinubu ended a decades-long contribution that made fuel affordable for many families. The price of gasoline in Nigeria has since doubled, in some places even tripled. Partly due to the high fuel prices, food prices have skyrocketed.
Gang violence drives farmers away
Concerns about food insecurity have long existed in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with a population of some 210 million. Citizens have to deal with an inflation rate of more than 22 percent and more than half live in poverty. The country has also been struggling for years with insecurity due to gang violence, of which many farmers, among others, are victims. They are kidnapped for ransom or killed.
Tinubu wants to take security measures for farmers. It is not yet clear what exactly those measures are. But the president wants to ensure that the measures are in everyone’s favor.
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