By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja
Food prices are steadily declining across Kogi State as the agricultural policies of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo take effect, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, has said.
Fanwo, speaking in Lokoja on Wednesday, explained that increased production combined with government measures against hoarding has stabilized the food supply chain and brought relief to households.
According to him, market surveys show significant price drops: a 50kg bag of rice, which sold for about ₦85,000 in March, now costs between ₦62,000 and ₦65,000; a medium-sized tuber of yam has fallen from ₦2,000 to ₦1,200; while a paint bucket of garri has dropped from ₦3,500 to ₦2,400. Prices of maize and corn have also fallen across the state.
“The crash in food prices is not accidental. It is the result of structured support to farmers through various agricultural intervention programmes, including ACReSAL, the massive distribution of improved seedlings, and the opening up of rural roads under the RAAMP project,” Fanwo said.
He stressed that the state has also put mechanisms in place to curb hoarding by middlemen. “Our policy is clear: no one will be allowed to exploit Kogites by stockpiling foodstuffs. We will continue to monitor markets to ensure availability and affordability,” he added.
Fanwo revealed that over one million seedlings of cashew and palm were planted this year alone in Kogi — a development projected to inject more than ₦100 billion into the state’s agro-economy within three years.
He assured that Governor Ododo remains committed to making Kogi a leading food hub in Nigeria, stressing that agriculture will continue to drive food security, job creation, and economic growth in the state. He added that many investors are already showing interest in the state’s agricultural sector.
“It is therefore not surprising,” Fanwo said, “that Produce for Lagos — an agricultural programme of the Lagos State Government — has chosen to partner with Kogi State for food supply to Lagos. This initiative, backed by a ₦500 billion agribusiness fund, is further proof that Kogi is now at the centre of Nigeria’s food security drive.”
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