Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, has expressed grave concerns about the country’s escalating cost of living and an impending food scarcity crisis.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume criticized the President Bola Tinubu administration’s closed-door policy, which he claims hinders meaningful discussions with the President, even for ministers and National Assembly members.
Ndume’s warning comes after he and Senator Sunday Steve Karimi introduced a motion to address Nigeria’s worsening food crisis.
The World Food Programme predicts that 82 million Nigerians may face food insecurity in the next five years, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Ndume urged the President to intervene in the soaring cost of living and food shortages, drawing comparisons to the dire situations in Niger Republic and South Sudan, where children are dying due to hunger.
Despite government assurances, he expressed disappointment at the lack of concrete action taken to address the crisis.
The Senator called for the government to collaborate with experts and stakeholders to find immediate solutions to the looming food crisis.
“The closed-door policy of the government is a major obstacle. Even ministers and lawmakers find it difficult to have meaningful discussions with the President,” Ndume stated.
“Our objective is to urgently draw the government’s attention to the severity of this food crisis affecting countless Nigerians,” Ndume stressed.
“We urgently need the President’s intervention on both the soaring cost of living and food shortages.
“We implore the government to work with experts and stakeholders to find immediate solutions,” he urged.
