Nigeria Spends N9.74 Billion on Food Palliatives Amid Nationwide Food Crisis
The Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has reportedly allocated a total of N9.74 billion for the procurement and distribution of food items in 2024 as part of efforts to address the ongoing food crisis across the country.
The figures were revealed by BudgIT, a civic-tech organization that advocates for transparency and accountability in government spending. According to the report, a significant portion of the funds was dedicated to the provision of essential food staples such as rice, beans, maize, and other commodities, intended to alleviate hunger in vulnerable communities.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security spearheaded the initiative, making multiple payments to contractors responsible for the emergency supply of palliative foodstuffs across various federal constituencies. Key transactions included payments for the delivery of rice, beans, and garri.
Payments were made at an average of N85.45 million per constituency between February and November 2024, with states such as Kano, Ogun, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Adamawa, and Lagos receiving funds for the purchase and distribution of food. Data from BudgIT’s GovSpend platform indicated that a total of N9.74 billion was spent across constituencies in these states and others, including Ekiti, Oyo, Bauchi, Rivers, Borno, Sokoto, and Enugu.
Despite the substantial financial investment, experts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the palliative programme in addressing the root causes of Nigeria’s food insecurity.
Economist Shedrach Israel, from Lotus Beta Analytics, pointed out that while food palliatives are crucial for addressing immediate hunger, they do not tackle the systemic issues contributing to food insecurity, such as inflation and deficiencies in the agricultural sector.
“Food palliatives are essential for addressing immediate hunger, but they fail to address the underlying systemic issues,” Israel said. “We need long-term economic policies focused on boosting local agricultural productivity and improving distribution networks to reduce dependence on external food aid.”
Israel further noted that the N9.74 billion spent on palliatives could have been better invested in agricultural innovation and infrastructure development, which would provide sustainable solutions to the food crisis.
Agricultural economist La’ah Dauda, based in Kaduna, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the country’s food crisis.
“The government’s reliance on palliatives is a short-term fix to a deeper agricultural crisis,” Dauda said. “These measures do not tackle critical issues like inadequate irrigation, poor storage facilities, and limited market access, all of which continue to impede agricultural productivity across the country.”
Both experts are calling for a more strategic, long-term investment in agriculture to ensure that Nigeria can meet its food needs sustainably and reduce its reliance on emergency food aid.
