A Political Economist and Professor of Strategy and Development, Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, Anthony Kila, has thrown his weight behind the importation and subsidy of food as a means of dealing with current food crisis Nigeria is dealing with.
The don made his position known while addressing an international forum of African and Caribbean political economists on a webinar organised to discuss economic and developmental opportunities in African and Caribbean countries.
The situation Nigeria is dealing with is an inflation induced largely by sudden and astronomical increase in cost of production and distribution as well as reduction in volume and variety of production.
A pragmatic short-term solution, according to the renowned expert, will be to import and subsidise food for as many people as possible.
Prof. Kila said: “There is an emergency in the country and there is nothing wrong with importing and subsidising food to deal with the current food crisis. We can do both as a temporary measure till we can secure farming lands and grow more food and we need about 10,000 subsidised food outlets across the country to manage the emergency.”
He stated that “while preparing for better production and lower prices that will take months, the government can step in to identify where the food items are available inside and outside the country, negotiate with food producers even on credit bases and fast track its delivery into and distribution in Nigeria.”
Kila also observed that the monetary policies led by the Central Bank of Nigeria cannot save the situation the country is dealing with.
“We need more impactful intervention on the real economy, the ministries of economy, agriculture as well that of trade need to make their impact felt,” he said.
The public analyst also called on political economist in Africa and Caribbean countries to help people, governments and businesses identify opportunities for collaborations and guide them towards prosperity.
