The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to urgently implement the Exports (Prohibition) Act, 2004, to curb food smuggling and food insecurity in the country......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The House also implored the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to provide more incentives for farmers in the country to boost agriculture and productivity.
Furthermore, the parliamentarians mandated its Committees on Agricultural Production and Services and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back to it within four weeks for further legislative actions.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Muktar Shagaya on the need to curb food insecurity in the country.
Shagaya, in his motion, noted that food insecurity and food inflation in the country have led to lack of access by millions of citizens to nutritious food, resulting in hunger and misery in the country.
According to him, reports from the World Bank and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) indicate “that over 31.8 million Nigerians, approximately 16 percent of the population, are currently facing severe food insecurity and malnutrition among women and children.
“Food smuggling and exportation is a major driver of the current food insecurity, with large quantities of food products smuggled out of the country, consequently undermining agricultural output and threatening the livelihoods of farmers.”
Shagaya added that, “the Export (Prohibition) Act 2004, was passed at a period when majority of Nigerians were unable to acquire basic necessities like rice, corn, yam, garri, cassava and beans due to the fact that these goods were being transported, sometimes, covertly to foreign markets, a circumstance comparable to the situation experienced at the present.”
Nevertheless, he expressed worry that the failure of the government to implement the Act “has led to severe food shortage, high food prices, increased food insecurity and the loss of revenue for farmers and the Federal Government.”
Consequently, the lawmaker noted that there was need to enforce the Export (Prohibition) Act, 2004, to “prevent food exportation, ensure food availability and reduce the cost of living for Nigerians.”