“An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb.” This is a popular saying from Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”. Many times, these days, I feel like that old woman in the saying, especially when I see skits where food is wasted and there are too many of them now. I don’t find them funny. I can’t laugh. They offend my sensibility. Food don cost.
People across the length and breadth of the country have adopted various strategies to cope with soaring food prices. It’s a picture that should worry anyone with a conscience. Fortunately, community support appears to be on the rise. This refers to informal community networks that play a crucial role in augmenting family meals. It can be neighbours or extended families sharing food and resources to provide a buffer against acute shortages.
It is time to mitigate the adverse effects of food inflation. The government, the major driver of inflation through its policies, must now take several urgent measures to help curb it and provide immediate and long-term relief to Nigerians.Let me start with my favourite theme, the government must provide food subsidies. I believe that implementing subsidies for essential food items and controlling prices can help make basic foods more affordable.
In line with the first point, emergency relief funds should also be on the card. Establishing emergency relief funds to support households in dire need can provide immediate financial assistance to purchase food. The Lagos State Government, earlier in the year, spoke of a mass resident feeding programme through local bukas. Who knows how that initiative is progressing?Private organisations also have a vital, even if, complementary role to play in addressing the food crisis.