Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the soaring cost of food items in Nigeria. He expressed concern that basic household staples like rice, beans, garri, and spaghetti have become increasingly unaffordable for many Nigerians due to high inflation rates. Oyintiloye highlighted data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicating a record-high food inflation rate of 40.66% in May, exacerbating economic hardship across the country.
He emphasized the urgent need for the president to declare a state of emergency on hunger, starvation, and poverty, citing predictions by the United Nations that a significant portion of Nigeria’s population could face food insecurity by 2030. Oyintiloye acknowledged the government’s efforts through various intervention programs but noted that their impacts have not sufficiently alleviated the food crisis.
Furthermore, he called for the implementation of price control measures to curb market exploitation by traders and suggested reopening the Benin Republic border for food imports to mitigate food shortages. Oyintiloye also stressed the importance of addressing insecurity affecting farmers and providing subsidies and incentives to boost agriculture, thereby attracting young Nigerians to the sector.
In conclusion, he urged Nigerians to support the government’s efforts, expressing optimism that with concerted action, the country could overcome its current economic challenges and achieve prosperity once more.