Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency due to the food security crisis in the country, his special adviser Dele Alake said.
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“In line with the Administration’s commitment to providing support to the most vulnerable, the President has declared the following provisions effective immediately: A food security emergency is declared immediately,” Alake said.
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The Nigerian government had previously canceled a fuel subsidy program that cost the government $10 billion a year. As a result of this, and also due to recent floods in the rural areas of the country, fuel and food prices have skyrocketed, resulting in a sharp drop in demand for food due to its high cost.
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According to Alake, the country’s authorities will direct funds previously allocated for fuel subsidies to support the agricultural sector.
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He also said that in the coming weeks, the authorities will put in place a series of initiatives to fight inflation and ensure a continuous supply of affordable food for the people of the country.
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In May, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesman Jens Laerke warned that some 4.3 million people could suffer famine in Nigeria in the summer, tying it to a lean season in the country’s northeast.
