Adesina faults food import tax suspension, says agric investments at risk

• Makinde: It’s a shame we can’t feed ourselves

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, at the weekend, faulted the Federal Government’s plan to allow the massive import of staple food to crash prices, describing the decision to suspend duties and taxes on imported food commodities as ‘depressing’.
   
Last week, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas will be suspended through Nigeria’s land and sea borders for 180 days to ease the price hike of food items.
   
Speaking in Abuja at a retreat organised by the African Primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), on the theme ‘Food security and financial sustainability in Africa: The role of the Church,’ the AfDB boss who was once Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, said the plan would only address short-term food prices hike in the country, adding that the policy might jeopardise the significant efforts and private investments made in Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
   
“Nigeria’s recently announced policy to open its borders for massive food imports, just to tackle short-term food price hikes, is depressing. Nigeria cannot rely on the importation of food to stabilise prices. Nigeria should be producing more food to stabilise food prices while creating jobs and reducing foreign exchange spending, which will further help stabilise the naira,” he said.
   
Adesina said Nigeria must not be turned into a food import-dependent country. “Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity. Nigeria must feed itself with pride, a nation that depends on others to feed itself is independent only in name. The policy could undermine all the hard work and private investments that have gone into Nigeria’s agriculture sector.”
   
Noting that Africa accounts for nearly a third of the more than 780 million people worldwide who are hungry, the AfDB president said agriculture is critical for the diversification of economies, and for the transformation of rural areas, where over 70 per cent of the population of Africa live.   
   
“It is clear therefore that unless we transform agriculture, Africa cannot eliminate poverty. Africa has 65 per cent of the uncultivated arable land left in the world, to feed 9.5 billion people by 2050. Therefore, what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world,” he insisted.
 
In his opening remarks, the host, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Henry C. Ndukuba, said the gathering was a unique opportunity for African Anglican leaders to deepen bonds of friendship and collaboration, and to share collective wisdom and experiences.
   
Speaking in the same vein, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said it was a shame that the country couldn’t feed her citizens well despite being blessed with arable land. While saying that the country is blessed with good weather, he pointed out that Nigeria had no reason to import food.
   
“It’s a big shame for this country that we cannot feed ourselves. We should go back to those things that will allow us to bring confidence back to our people and to ensure that this country is back on the path of growth and economic progress,” he said.
   
Makinde said this while receiving the national executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by its President, Chris Iziguzo, in his office at the secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

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