Janet Samuel, Abuja
The Senate has urged the Federal Government to introduce food stamps programme as an interim measure to cushion the effects of food insecurity in the country.
It also mandated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to liaise with development partners and other relevant stakeholders, especially the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, which introduced the Temporary Food Assistance Programme (TEFAP), few years ago, to work out practicable templates and implementable modalities for the actualisation of the programme.
The resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored by a Senator representing Borno South and Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, Titled “Introduction of food stamps in Nigeria as an interim measure to address imminent food insecurity in the country.”co-sponsored by the Senator representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha.
Presenting the motion, Senator Ndume noted that at the unveiling of the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé Analysis on food insecurity, it was projected that in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people, grappling with high levels of food insecurity.
He said the reason for the above projection is not far-fetched, as several indicators, which include but not limited to the ongoing conflicts across the country, climate change impacts, escalating inflation as witnessed in recent time, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities, due to falling in the value of naira in exchange market.
“Worried that many hungry and angry Nigerians have been expressing their frustration and anger over the recent increase in food prices by demonstrating on the streets in several cities across the country.
Ndume observed that in other countries, llike the USA, food stamps which is a government-issued coupons that is given to low-income and non-income persons is redeemable and it has been used since 1939 to date as a measure to cushion the resultant hardships and sufferings on the poor/less privileged as well as low-income earners.
Concerned that the clamour for a wage increase and work support cannot alone guarantee a more effective way of addressing food insecurity without the introduction of a time-tested public assistance programme, as contemplated by this motion with particular emphasis on the need for immediate food support across the country.”
Senator Moro of Benue South, while adding his voice to the motion said there is” No better time than. now to devise ways to deal with food security.
In his contribution, Senator Suleiman Sadiq of Kwara North said there is need to provide a system that is foolproof, to provide for ordinary Nigerians, urging the senate to give it a serous thought and encourage the Executive to adopt it as a working document.
Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who said the initiative was a good move, however said that measures be put in place to guide against its abuse.
Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Adeola, called for the deployment of modern technology to curb abuses.
