- He explained that the proposed food voucher system could directly benefit around 5 million households
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has called on the federal government to address Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis by providing food vouchers to low-income citizens.
Speaking at a press briefing alongside the Nigerian delegation at the 2024 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, Ibrahim, who chairs the Senate Inter-Parliamentary Committee, argued that food vouchers would be more effective in combating food insecurity than the current cash transfer scheme.
He explained that the proposed food voucher system could directly benefit around 5 million households—equivalent to 25 million people—and help mitigate the impact of recent economic reforms, including the removal of petroleum subsidies and foreign exchange adjustments. These reforms, he stressed, should focus on supporting the most vulnerable citizens.
At the briefing, Finance Minister Wale Edun also outlined the government’s efforts to boost food production as a key measure to reduce inflation, which is largely driven by rising food prices. He noted that food costs contribute to 50% of the Consumer Price Index.
Edun highlighted ongoing plans to improve both the wet season harvest and support for small-scale farmers ahead of the dry season. The government intends to assist 600,000 farmers in cultivating around 1 million hectares of wheat in November and rice in early 2024.
The minister expressed confidence that these initiatives, alongside measures by the Central Bank of Nigeria to combat inflation, would stabilize food prices and enhance affordability for basic goods across the country.
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