By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
NIGERIA’s STATE governors have expressed their resolve to work in unison with the Federal Government to eliminate unauthorised checkpoints, harmonise taxes, and ease the interstate movement of goods in a broad strategy aimed at reducing food inflation and reinforcing national food security.
The decision followed a series of meetings held in Abuja this week involving the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Also present were federal ministers responsible for Defence, Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Transportation.
Despite a drop in year-on-year food inflation to 21.14% in May 2025 from 40.66% a year earlier, experts attribute the decline to changes in statistical methodology rather than a genuine fall in prices.
Month-on-month inflation rose to 2.19% in May from 2.06% in April, with food-producing states experiencing some of the steepest local price hikes, exposing the growing divide between production output and consumer affordability.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that essential food items, including yam, maize, cassava, and pepper, remain expensive across multiple regions.
Factors such as transport inefficiencies, illegal taxes, and insecurity continue to drive up costs and restrict supply chains.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaking on behalf of the NGF, stressed that “the proliferation of checkpoints, illegal levies, and dilapidated infrastructure are inflating food prices and disrupting supply chains.”
He confirmed that state leaders are now aligning with federal reforms to dismantle these barriers and enhance transparency in transport taxation.
The governors have also endorsed the rapid deployment of decentralised security systems at state level to confront the worsening insecurity affecting farming communities and transportation routes.
The measure comes in the wake of a violent attack in Yelewata, Benue State, where over 200 people were reportedly killed on 13 June. President Bola
President Bola Tinubu visited the region and ordered swift action to apprehend the attackers and restore order.
Hope Uzodimma, PGF Chairman and Governor of Imo State, stated via his official X account that both governors’ forums had agreed to implement community-level security architecture.
He cited his own state’s success in adopting localised models to bolster public confidence and improve emergency response times.
The governors further raised concerns about delays in World Bank disbursements under the Nigeria Community Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.
Sanwo-Olu noted that states have collectively invested over $2.2 billion through NG-CARES platforms, impacting more than 17 million beneficiaries, yet the World Bank has not fulfilled its financial commitments under NG-CARES 1.0.
“States have delivered significant results, but the World Bank’s delay in meeting its pledges under NG-CARES 1.0 threatens progress,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He urged for expedited resolution to enable a transition to NG-CARES 2.0, which is designed to build sustainable resilience among vulnerable communities.
NSA Nuhu Ribadu provided further insight into federal plans targeting systemic inefficiencies in the agricultural supply chain.
He disclosed that an inter-ministerial committee had submitted policy recommendations aimed at dismantling unauthorised roadblocks, improving transport logistics, and rehabilitating infrastructure along key food routes.
In a joint declaration, governors pledged to support federal infrastructure interventions, enforce transparency in state-level tax regimes, and remove unauthorised levies to ensure seamless movement of agricultural goods nationwide.
