The House of Representatives has blamed the federal government for contributing to severe food shortages, high prices, and food smuggling in Nigeria.
Lawmakers said the government’s failure to enforce the Export (Prohibition) Act of 2004 worsened food insecurity and cost farmers and the government significant revenue.
This followed a motion by Muktar Shagaya, who warned that food shortages and rising costs are causing hardship for millions of Nigerians, especially women and children, with over 31.8 million people facing severe food insecurity, according to reports from the World Bank and the International Rescue Committee.
He said: “Aware that the Export (Prohibition) Act, 2004, was passed at a time when the majority of Nigerians were unable to acquire basic necessities like rice, corn, yam, garri, cassava, and beans, as these goods were being transported, sometimes covertly, to foreign markets. A circumstance comparable to the situation experienced at the present
The House urged the government to enforce food export bans and called on the Ministry of Agriculture to provide more incentives for farmers to boost production.
