As inflationary pressure continues to mount nationwide, the Federal Government has steadily increased monthly allocations to avail more resources for state governors to dampen the severity of hardship in their domains. Besides the pledges of the Governors’ Forum and workable interventions in states like Lagos, residents are asking for more feasible pro-poor programmes that cut across spheres of basic needs, KEHINDE OLATUNJI reports.
It is a cliché that ‘one cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well’. And that is the reality of many Nigerians as the current economic hardship continues to feast on the people.
Indeed, since the President Bola Tinubu-led administration came on board with its infamous ‘subsidy is gone’ declaration, the already bad hunger and poverty burden has become heavier.
The numbers are terrifying. For instance, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) explained that the price of rice, a staple food in all homes, rose by 152.93 per cent in the past year.
The latest report on the selected food price watch for March 2024 showed that the average price of one kilogramme of local rice stood at N1,340.74.
The report also shows that the average price of one kilogramme of boneless beef increased by 73.78 per cent year-on-year from N2,479.61 in March 2023 to N4,309.16 in March 2024.
The price of other food items like beans rose by 106.78 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N596.96 in March 2023 to N1234.4 in March 2024.
The average price of one kilogramme of yam tuber rose by 141.25 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N443.02 in March 2023 to N1,068.78 in March 2024.
Put together, Nigeria’s inflation rate from 2018 to March 2024 grew from 12.09 per cent to 33.2 per cent with a current unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent.
With the country no longer at ease and people’s patience tanking rather fast, President Tinubu had convened a meeting of state governors, where they were urged to focus their efforts on resolving the economic and food crisis, even as his government increased monthly allocation to all states by 69 per cent.
In truth, findings showed that from February, March and April 2023, the 36 states got N776 billion as FAAC allocation. But in October, November and December 2023, after the subsidy had been removed, they got N1 trillion, an increase of over N200 billion.
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in February also hinted that the 36 state governors were implementing diverse strategies and measures aimed at resolving the ongoing economic challenges and food crises within their respective states.
Notably, some states have rolled out interventions. For instance, in Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke paid a wage award of N15,000 to each of the active workers in the state; and N10,000 to each of the pensioners in the state for three months.
Governor Umo Eno
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom said that the state government purchased additional bags of rice for the people, which raised its contributions to the palliatives scheme to over N5 billion.
Kebbi State government said it had spent N5.7 billion to procure 210 truckloads of 126,000 bags of assorted grains for 720,000 families across the 21 local government areas of the state.
Perhaps the best and the most far-reaching interventions among all is from Lagos state. Recently, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, unveiled Eko Cares – a codename for the “comprehensive response” of the State Government to the temporary hardship occasioned by the economic crises.
According to Sanwo-Olu, no responsible government would fold its hands and watch the people suffer untold hardship, this, he said, necessitated his resolve to initiate several interventions to mitigate the impact of the economic hardship on the people.
Eko Cares is a comprehensive response of the Lagos government to the temporary hardship occasioned by the economic crises. The programme is being supervised by the Special Dispensation Advisory Committee on Social Interventions (SPEDAC), an 11-man, non-partisan body set up to advise the government on the various initiatives lined up to help the poor weather the storm.
He said: “The objective is for us to be able to ensure that food is not one of the issues that will continue to challenge the vulnerable in our society. Therefore, the government must be able to show up well to all of you and to be able to support you at these difficult times.”
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (left); his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso and his Agriculture counterpart, Abisola Olusanya, during the unveiling of the Eko Cares Initiatives at the Sports Ground of Lagos House, Ikeja…
Ounje Eko, an integral part of Eko Cares, has already kicked off across the state, and for the sixth Sunday running, residents have continued to troop out to buy various items at the designated Sunday markets where they enjoy a 25 per cent discount on all food items. Basic foods such as rice, beans, garri, egg, bread, pepper, and tomatoes, among others, were sold at the markets by designated vendors.
“What we have done is, we created 59 make-shift markets outside of the regular markets out of our 57 local government areas and local council development areas and made it ‘Sunday-Sunday’ market”.
Besides the Ounje Eko initiative, food items, which include 10kg rice, 5kg gari, 5kg beans, and tomatoes, amongst others, all in combo packs, will be distributed to over 500,000 households.
Speaking on other aspects of the intervention, the governor added: “We will be running a medical outreach programme. The Ministry of Health is ready and has been galvanised to serve the medical outreach. They have put all the processes together and are going to be running this medical outreach in all of our three senatorial districts and at about six locations.
“What the outreach will do is to give medical attention to a lot of our citizens that will not want to go to the regular hospitals, and they will be treated free of charge. Medicine will be given and support counselling will also be given.
“We also mentioned that we will be having a discount on all of our transportation that is under the ambit of the state government. I am sure you will continue to enjoy the rebate in all of the BRT buses, ferry and train services and so we have kept those promises again.
“And all public officers in Lagos, they know that since January, we have continued to pay the wage in the minimum of N25,000 over and above what they were earning before. So, what it means is that people who were earning a minimum of N25,000 before are now earning over N70,000. That is what they have been enjoying since January.
“So, it’s important for people to know and for us to lay these things very clearly that this government has doubled up to ensure that at this difficult time, it has not left its citizens on their own.
“Today, I am excited that all of the things that we have promised you, we have started and we are still doing it bigger and better because, from today, you will begin to see all of the foodstuffs will be shipped to all nooks and crannies through the local government.”
While assuring Lagosians of his government’s commitment to make life better for them by providing needed succour, and security of lives and property, the governor appealed to the people, especially those in charge of the distribution of the palliatives to be their brother’s keeper.
“Please, once they send these things to you, you’re not meant to hoard them or share them amongst your groups. It is supposed to be for the vulnerable people who truly need it. Please, give it to them, support and help them, let them be able to come up and live well.”
Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said the humanitarian intervention was “a continuation of the government’s bold efforts to lighten the burden of residents, especially the most vulnerable, the poorest of the poor, and those who do not know where the next meal will come from.”
The Lagos State Government earlier unveiled several interventions in transportation, education, health and agriculture under the umbrella of Eko Cares.
When the fuel subsidy removal sparked a rise in the cost of living, Sanwo-Olu announced a 50 per cent cut in fares on all government transport platforms on February 8, 2023.
After a review of the situation, the fare slash was reduced to 25 per cent, for six weeks, the Ounje Eko Sunday market that signalled the reduction of food by 25 per cent has been running.
Civil servants from levels one to 14 were asked to work thrice a week, while an N35,000 wage award was also given to all civil servants. Also, about 15,000 women from all the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas got N50,000 each to support their businesses.
Besides, Sanwo-Olu announced free delivery for expectant women in all government hospitals, among other initiatives.
Beneficiaries of the Ounje Eko Sunday market that signalled the reduction of food by 25 per cent have urged the governor to extend the initiative to further ameliorate the sufferings of the people.
A resident, Suraju Ademola, said: “When you compare the rate at which the goods are being sold here, it’s cheaper than the amount you get in a normal market. This is a laudable one from the state government and I want other states to emulate this. The good initiative should reach all the local councils, not only in Lagos but nationwide,” Ademola said.
Member of the Civil Society Organisation, Musiliu Banjoko, said the Eko Cares initiative is distinct in terms of sustainability.
“I have seen states share cups of rice with their residents under the cusp of palliative. That is not dignifying. Though food is important, there is a lot more that state governors must do, and Lagos is leading in that direction, however imperfect it may be. Let’s have more states do this responsibly and transparently and the hardship will reduce drastically,” Banjoko said.
