Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiga, has expressed concerns over the existence of 700 checkpoints where truck drivers transporting agricultural products are forced to pay an average of N1.2 million per trip. This, he believes, contributes to the high cost of meat in the market. Maiga, who spoke at the Daily Trust’s 22nd Annual Dialogue in Abuja, attributed the high cost of meat to extortionate checkpoints manned by state and non-state actors.
Maiga emphasized that these checkpoints hinder the availability and affordability of food for Nigerians. He urged the government to dismantle these checkpoints, particularly those created by non-state actors. The minister also highlighted the need for Nigeria to address insecurity to provide food for its growing population.
In addition, Maiga stressed the importance of adopting models from other countries, like Brazil, to boost food production. He also emphasized the need for agriculture policies to address the issue of people producing only for family consumption, with little to sell.
Kabir Ibrahim, National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), echoed Maiga’s concerns. Ibrahim alleged that the Anchor Borrower programme of the previous administration failed due to corruption. He stated that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) gave billions of naira to prime anchors, who used the funds to buy rice from the market instead of supporting real farmers.
Ibrahim also lamented the impact of insecurity and other challenges on food access. He advocated for large-scale dry season farming to address food shortages and affordability. Furthermore, Ibrahim emphasized the need to tackle farmer-herder clashes, which his ministry is working to resolve in some states.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Mira Mehta, CEO of Tomato Jos, noted that Chinese expatriates produce 95% of Nigeria’s tomato paste. Mehta attributed the high cost of produce in Nigeria to the lack of competitiveness among local farmers and the struggle of food manufacturers to grow food in the country.
Mehta explained that Nigeria imports over 30% of its food spend, which negatively impacts production. She compared Nigeria to Kenya, which has a similar per capita ratio but lower food costs. Mehta emphasized the need for the Nigerian government to support farmers, make precision farm technology available, and develop policies to attract young people to agriculture.
