Tinubu pushes FEC committee to tame soaring food prices

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

The average Nigerian no longer calculates food by the bag but by the cup, by the paint bucket, or by the spoonful. From rice to garri, prices are rewriting family budgets every week. It is against this backdrop that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee to act swiftly and bring down the cost of food across the nation.

The directive, announced by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, signals a direct push from the presidency to ease the burden on households. Tinubu is demanding that the committee take urgent steps to reduce the logistics costs that make food more expensive, with a focus on ensuring the safe passage of agricultural produce across major transport routes.

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Transportation has long been the hidden cost in Nigeria’s food chain. Farmers grow their crops in remote villages, but by the time the goods arrive at city markets, the weight of fuel prices, poor road conditions, and multiple levies on the highways have doubled their value. This new order, if fully enforced, could see food move more freely and cheaply, giving both farmers and consumers a fairer deal.

Beyond transport, the President’s directive is tied to his broader vision of “food sovereignty.” Abdullahi explained that this goes beyond having food in silos or warehouses; it means food must be affordable, accessible, and nutritious. To achieve this, the government is preparing to launch a Farmer Soil Health Scheme, aimed at restoring soil fertility and boosting yields. Plans are also underway to reform agricultural cooperatives, making them engines for resource mobilization and rural empowerment.

Still, the directive raises questions. How quickly can the committee deliver tangible results? Which food items will be prioritized in this intervention? And how will ordinary Nigerians buying pepper by the cup and tomatoes by the basket measure the impact? For families who already cut down meals or substitute cheaper options, promises must translate into real relief.

For now, Tinubu’s marching order has placed food prices at the center of national policy, acknowledging the urgency of hunger in Nigerian homes. Whether this political will can finally tame the rising cost of living remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the dinner table has become a frontline in Nigeria’s economic struggle.