Dolapo Bright, a former Special Adviser to ex-president Muhammadu Buhari on agriculture, has stated that President Bola Tinubu was misled by his advisers regarding the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on food imports. He argued that the policy, intended to reduce inflation, would not achieve its objective.
Bright expressed his views during the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political program aired on Channels Television. He highlighted the significant impact of high diesel and petrol prices on the transportation of food items, which, in turn, drives up commodity prices.
“I don’t think the desired outcome will be achieved. The person who advised the government on this policy is clueless. If you understand the realities on the ground, you won’t give such advice,” Bright said.
“The president is being misled. Think about it: if food is imported into Lagos, how will it be transported to other states? The high transportation costs will offset any potential benefits from the import waiver. This approach will only stagnate our agricultural sector,” he added.
Nigerians are facing one of the worst cost-of-living crises since the country’s independence. Food and commodity prices have skyrocketed amid spiraling inflation.
When President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, Nigeria’s inflation rate stood at 22.41%, based on figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). By November 2024, the inflation rate had risen to 34.6%, marking a 12% increase. Economists attribute this surge to Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of forex rates.
Notably, food inflation reached 39.93% in November 2024, compared to 32.84% in November 2023. This surge has led to significant increases in the prices of essential food items such as fish, rice, yam flour, millet, corn flour, eggs, milk, and frozen chicken.
In response to rising food prices, the Tinubu administration announced the suspension of customs duties on food imports in July 2024. However, the policy has reportedly been hampered by bureaucratic delays, preventing its effective implementation.
Bright, who served as Buhari’s agricultural adviser from 2015 to 2023, pointed out that government intervention in agriculture has contributed to inflation. He advocated for a more private sector-driven approach to agriculture.
“Farmers need a conducive environment to make a decent profit. They don’t necessarily need the government to intervene if the right systems are in place,” he said.
Bright also noted that many farmers have reduced their production capacity due to high input costs.
During his first media chat on December 23, 2024, President Tinubu announced plans to bring over 2,000 tractors into the country to promote mechanized farming and ease the farming process.
However, Bright argued that tractors alone would not solve Nigeria’s food shortage problem. He emphasized that employing local labor would create jobs and better address the needs of Nigerian farmers, most of whom practice subsistence farming.
“Over 80% of Nigerian farmers are subsistence farmers. Providing them with the right support and environment is more effective than focusing solely on mechanization,” he added.