As President Bola Hammed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security, social media users on Twitter had diverse reactions and opinions.
The announcement triggered a range of responses, with some expressing skepticism and others calling for immediate action.
The channel Tv reported that during a press briefing on Thursday, the Presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, revealed that the President had given instructions to include matters concerning the availability and affordability of food and water, which are crucial for sustenance, under the jurisdiction of the National Security Council.
This directive aligns with the stance of the Tinubu administration, emphasizing the importance of supporting the most vulnerable members of society.
Reacting to the development, one user, Truth GPT, voiced his doubts, stating, “Oh, so now Tinubu is suddenly an expert on food security? Maybe he should focus on fixing the numerous problems in his own backyard before declaring a state of emergency.”
He noted that Tinubu may be using the declaration for political gain rather than addressing the underlying issues.
Moreover, Lengdung Tungchamma took a different stance, suggesting that opening the borders for food importation would alleviate the situation.
He argued, “Allow food to flow freely. Simple economics. Declaring a state of emergency does not change the price of rice in the market. Nigeria is simply not at the stage where it can produce its food completely by itself.”
He believes that Nigeria still heavily relies on food imports and that a more comprehensive approach is needed.
Thrive group Nigeria in his reaction also drew attention to the impact of global dynamics on food security.
He pointed out, “Many countries in North Africa depend on wheat from Russia and Ukraine. The war reduced easy access. Prices of staples went out of reach. Container economics is not the best, else Nigeria becomes a dumping ground.”
Michael Emiabata expressed concern that the declaration of a state of emergency on food security might be a strategic move by Tinubu to gain political advantage.
He asserted, “This is a dangerous ploy by INEC President Tinubu to elongate his stays in Aso Rock. He creates problems for the nation and then declares a state of emergency in order to fool the judiciary to favor him.”
He also emphasized the need to prioritize addressing the insecurity in the northern part of the country, which prevents farmers from working on their land.
Christopher Nanfa Gidado questioned the effectiveness of the declaration, asking about concrete action plans and the need for immediate implementation.
He also suggested redirecting funds, stating, “That eight thousand naira palliative, can’t you use it to improve electricity, healthcare, education, and security? At least the economy will improve.” This tweet reflected the sentiment that broader issues should be addressed to achieve sustainable food security.
Hamma appreciated the declaration, contrasting it with previous palliative measures.
He stated, “This is far better than that nonsense palliative, subsidize food production, let the poor see food to eat, not some selected few getting a monthly stipend that mostly will be in the pocket of its administrators.”
Kassandra Ugochukwu highlighted the relationship between transportation costs and food prices.
He affirmed, “The cost of transportation is usually included in the cost of food. Or is the government unaware that the removal of fuel subsidy has adversely affected food prices?”
A user with the name ‘Aromu Sule’ echoed the sentiment of discontent, criticizing the government’s decision to remove fuel subsidies and its impact on food prices.
He said, “Help me ask them. Government without sense thinks they are wise enough to deceive us. You removed fuel subsidy, and you expect food that is transported to the market to be cheap?”
Zoro used a sarcastic tone to criticize the government’s approach to addressing food insecurity.
He outlined a series of steps taken by the government, suggesting that they caused the problem themselves and were now seeking applause for declaring a state of emergency.
Moreso, King Leo emphasized the relationship between food security and overall security in the country.
He believed that focusing on improving security would naturally lead to food security. They tweeted, “Our food security is threatened by general insecurity. The state of emergency should be on our security. Fix it and watch food security guaranteed.”
A user with the name, Owoseni Rex Omodara expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the declaration, fearing that corrupt individuals would mismanage the funds allocated to address the food security situation.
He suggested an alternative use for the money, saying, “President Tinubu should use the money to stock up some filling stations where we can buy PMS at a cheaper price.”
Also, Charles Udeokoro in his comment advocated for a focus on areas of comparative advantage and promoting competition through the free flow of goods.
He argued, “Yes, simple economics will say focus on the areas you are better at. Also, free flow of goods will drive down prices as a result of competition. You don’t place an embargo on food when you don’t have the capacity to efficiently and effectively produce food.”
Olagoke Habeeb Ololade’s comment touched on the need for a change in mindset to overcome the challenges faced by Nigeria.
