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Despite a slight reduction in food prices, a former Special Adviser on Agriculture to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Dolapo Bright, has cautioned that the relief may be short-lived.
According to him, the recent dip in food costs is not sustainable, and Nigerians should brace for further price hikes.
Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme on Channels Television, Bright attributed the temporary price drop to the Federal Government’s grain importation initiative in July 2024.
However, he argued that relying on imports undermines local farmers and does not address Nigeria’s long-term food security challenges.
Why Food Prices Dropped – But Not for Long
Bright explained that the reduction in the prices of certain food items, such as onions, is seasonal and should not be mistaken for a lasting trend.
“By December, onion was reaching ₦200,000 to ₦300,000. Now, onion is down,” he noted.
He attributed this to the dry-season harvest, which has boosted supply in key agricultural states like Kano, Sokoto, and Kebbi. The same effect has temporarily lowered the prices of tomatoes and peppers.
“But last week, the price of ‘Ata rodo’ (pepper) is up again because we forgot about demand and supply,” he added.
Bright criticised the government’s decision to import grains duty-free, arguing that such policies harm local farmers.
“We are having problems with grains now in terms of price because the government imported grains from outside the country at zero duty, which, to me, is a disgrace. So many farmers are not happy about what is happening,” he said.
Comparing Nigeria’s policies with other countries, Bright highlighted how nations like Thailand and Europe heavily subsidise their farmers, ensuring a stable agricultural sector.
“The government is not looking at this; we are celebrating the importation of grains from other countries, and these countries support their farmers. Thailand supports rice farmers with $1.6bn every year in subsidies. Europe supports farmers generally, $34bn annually, even more than the United States,” he pointed out.
Government’s Agricultural Support ‘Too Little, Too Late’
Bright also criticised the timing of the government’s agricultural support, arguing that delays in distributing fertilisers have negatively impacted farmers.
“Even our support is destroying the farmers. Let me give an example. Last year, the President said we are going to give fertilisers to farmers. We started planting now and will plant till June, and the government wants to give them fertilisers in July. And the fertilisers came in September. It’s too late,” he lamented.
He warned that food prices will continue to rise unless the government takes decisive action beyond importation.
“We must not jubilate; the price of food is still going to go up unless the president will continue to import food. The demand for food in Nigeria is high, with a population of over 200 million. We’ve got to produce every time, not once in a year, and the government must support the farmers because the support of farmers is critical to food security,” he stressed.
Analyst: Government Policies Have ‘Jeopardised Food Security’
Echoing Bright’s concerns, policy analyst Moheed Dahiru argued that government interventions in agriculture have failed to make a meaningful impact.
“Nobody is feeling the impact, and it cannot be felt because there was a sharp rise in the prices of food commodities between May 29, 2023, and February this year (2025), way above the affordability threshold of the majority of the people of Nigeria,” Dahiru stated.
He added that even the proposed ₦70,000 minimum wage would do little to cushion the effects of food inflation.
“There are some defective interventions in the government. What the government seeks to do by way of public reforms have ended up probably deforming our economy, and has jeopardised food security in the process,” Dahiru added.
He emphasised that most Nigerians struggle to afford even the food items currently available in the market due to declining purchasing power.
Rising Food Prices: The Bigger Picture
Nigeria is experiencing one of its worst cost-of-living crises in decades, driven by soaring food prices and economic instability. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation stood at 39.93% in November 2024, a sharp increase from 32.84% in November 2023.
Following a rebasing of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Nigeria’s food inflation rate for January 2025 was 26.08%, while headline inflation was adjusted from 34.80% in December 2024 to 24.48% in January 2025.
Basic food commodities such as rice, yam flour, millet, corn flour, eggs, milk, and frozen chicken have seen significant price increases over the past two years.
Analysts attribute this to President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates.
In an attempt to curb inflation, the government announced the suspension of customs duties on imported food items in July 2024. However, bureaucratic bottlenecks have reportedly hindered the policy’s implementation.
Bright, who served as Buhari’s agriculture adviser from 2015 to 2023, warned that the suspension of import duties alone will not be enough to curb food inflation.
Without a clear and well-implemented agricultural policy, Nigerians may continue to struggle with rising food costs in the months ahead.
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