ABUJA, July 8 – As part of measures to combat rising food inflation in Nigeria, the federal government has announced the suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes for the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas through land and sea borders.
These food commodities will enjoy a 150-day Duty-Free Import Window. Moreso, under this arrangement, imported food commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP).
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari who revealed this during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, stated that the move is part of the implementation of the Presidential Accelerated and Stabilisation Advancement Plan (ASAP) which is aimed at achieving food security and economic stability in the country.
The minister stated that the Nigerian government has been working tirelessly to address the food inflation crisis, which has caused prices to skyrocket to unprecedented levels. Therefore, he assured Nigerians that the government is committed to achieving food security and ensuring that no citizen goes to bed hungry.
He said, “I am glad to reiterate that the Government’s position exemplifies standards that would not compromise the safety of the various food items for consumption.
“In addition to the importation by private sector, Federal Government will import 250,000MT of wheat and 250,000MT of maize. The imported food commodities in their semi processed state will target supplies to the small-scale processors and millers across the country.”
Kyari also announced that the federal government has inaugurated the Renewed Hope National Livestock Transformation Implementation Committee to develop and implement policies prioritizing livestock development in line with the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
