Governors of the 36 states of the federation have suggested ways to address the current security and economic challenges, food crisis and other issues bedeviling the nation.
A communiqué made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, signed by the Kwara State governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the governors held a virtual meeting on Tuesday and deliberated on the various challenges facing the country and the need to address them.
The governors said there is the need to reduce foreign exchange demand, curb illegal export of solid minerals and increase crude oil production to earn more foreign exchange.
According to the communiqué, the governors also made commitments to deploying emergency food interventions, including incentivising food production, release of food items from strategic food reserves and collaboration with food millers and commodity traders in their various states to boost food availability as an immediate short-term action.
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The communiqué read in part, “We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our emergency virtual meeting held the 6th February, 2024 following a briefing by National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu and the representative of the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), deliberated on the security situation and food stability in the country and resolved as follows:
“Recognised the need to address the connection between food inflation, naira depreciation and rising insecurity across parts of the country from a systemic perspective and called for urgent discussions with and synergy amongst stakeholders in improving the situation in the shortest possible time.”