Sudan’s fallen ruler, Omar al-Bashir, won many fights for three decades. He mastered the politics of UN. He overcame America and South Sudan. He triumphed over IMF and World Bank. He fought rebels, friends and enemies – and won. But at the end, he fell because of BREAD. Yes, bread – so simple and harmless- brought down one of the last surviving yoyo men of Africa.
It seems that the Nigerian government has memory and is addressing the food challenges in the nation: “In a bid to address the growing discontent among Nigerians…, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the distribution of an additional 10 trucks of 50kg of rice to each state. This rice will be sold at designated centers for N40,000 per bag, significantly lower than the current market price, which can reach up to N90,000 per bag. The initiative, aimed at providing relief to struggling households, comes amid a backdrop of surging food inflation and economic instability.”
This is good policy and let us keep it going. Sure, we need to find sustainable solutions to these issues but homes and families need immediate help. So, open the vault and flood Nigeria with cheap food. The best policy now is subsidized food because if you remove electricity subsidy and forex subsidy, something must be subsidized in Nigeria. If food be it, please play on.
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Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, made the announcement following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday. He emphasized that the government is taking proactive measures to address the concerns raised by citizens, including those planning to participate in the upcoming #EndBadGovernance protests.
These protests are expected to express widespread dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s recent economic policies, which have significantly impacted the cost of living.
The sharp rise in food prices, including staples like rice, is attributed to a 41% food inflation rate, orchestrated by recent economic reforms, mainly – the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, implemented last year by the Tinubu administration.
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