Former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has expressed deep concern over the worsening living conditions in Nigeria, stating that “the hardship in the country is getting out of control.”

As Nigeria continues to face food insecurity challenges, the governors of the 36 states have devised unique strategies based on their specific agricultural strengths and vulnerabilities to tackle the issue. Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerians to take full advantage of the various intervention programmes introduced by the federal government to alleviate the current economic difficulties.

General Abdulsalami voiced his concerns in Minna, the capital of Niger State, while receiving a delegation from the Campaign for Democracy (CD), led by Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, who visited him to celebrate his birthday. During the visit, the CD delegation requested that he appeal to President Bola Tinubu to address the widespread hunger in the country.

Lamenting the dire situation, the former Head of State said, “Everybody is complaining about this hardship, and it seems to be spiralling out of control. People cannot afford three square meals; there is a rise in transportation costs, a hike in fuel prices, an increase in school fees for children, and a lack of funds in people’s pockets, making life difficult for everyone.”

Abdulsalami emphasised, “We will continue to urge the government to introduce measures to ease this hardship.” He further noted that “the federal, state, and local governments should explore ways to cushion the impact of this economic crisis.”

The former leader revealed that he was part of a forum that had made recommendations to the federal government on mitigating the country’s economic hardships. “I would like to inform you that in some of the proposals we have presented to the government, providing palliatives is not the solution to the high prices of food and other essential items,” he said.

Abdulsalami recommended that the government “flood and saturate the communities with food. They should buy food and sell it at lower prices so that people can purchase these food items according to their income.” He added, “We have submitted these recommendations to the government, and we hope they will implement them.”

Regarding the planned #Endbadgovernance protest scheduled for 1 October, Abdulsalami appealed for peace, stating, “For God’s sake, if you must demonstrate, do so peacefully.” Recalling the previous demonstrations, he said, “We witnessed unnecessary carnage, theft, and criminal activities. Instead of peacefully demonstrating, people resorted to looting private homes, causing suffering for innocent individuals.”

“If we are to protest, let us be clear about our reasons and refrain from inflicting hardship on fellow Nigerians,” he urged. Abdulsalami also called on the government to listen to the demonstrators, stressing, “You cannot beat a child and prevent it from crying.”

Earlier, the delegation’s leader, Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, said they had come to celebrate Abdulsalami’s birthday and pray for his long life and good health. He also sought the former leader’s support for some of their programmes, particularly in mobilising Nigerians for active participation in governance. Jabi highlighted the prevalent hunger in the country and asked Abdulsalami to help persuade the federal government to address the issue.

In the meantime, the governors of the 36 states have adopted various strategies to combat food insecurity. From the drought-prone northern states to the flood-prone southern regions, state governments, in collaboration with federal authorities and international organisations, are making concerted efforts to fight hunger and boost agricultural productivity.

According to a document released by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and signed by its Head of Information and Publications, Halima Ahmed, states in the North-West, such as Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, and Sokoto, are focusing on enhancing the production of staple crops, including rice, millet, and sorghum.

Through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) now-suspended Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, thousands of smallholder farmers received financial support and inputs to scale up production. Kano State, known as the “commercial nerve centre of agriculture,” is working to achieve food security and increase residents’ income. The administration of Governor Abba Yusuf is revamping farming practices and building a sustainable agricultural value chain.

The state’s efforts include developing masterplans for irrigation, livestock, poultry, small ruminants, and fisheries. Additionally, agricultural inputs such as improved seeds of rice, maize, and sorghum are being distributed to subsistence farmers across the state’s 44 local government areas.

The document also highlighted the rehabilitation of tertiary irrigation canals benefiting 3,288 farmers at a cost of ₦292 million and the introduction of the African Development Bank’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme, valued at $130 million, to promote the production of rice, tomatoes, groundnuts, and sesame seeds.