At a time when hunger is widespread, with more than 30 million Nigerians projected to face acute hunger by mid-2025, a Local Government Chairman in Delta State has developed a model to make food more affordable for the masses in local communities.
Food subsidy is not new in Nigeria. Its implementation and focus have evolved over time and the government has been implementing various programmes aimed at enhancing food security and supporting farmers to bring down prices of food, but none has worked yet.
Instead, the prices of food have continued to go up and both the government and the governed are worried because food is one thing that concerns everybody. Thus, if the government succeeds in every other thing without food for the people, then it has not done anything. This is why the food problem is a serious one.
Yes, the Nigeria food subsidy scheme has been primarily implemented through various government agricultural programmes but none has blazed the trail like the food market subsidy in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. The local Government Chairman is Mr Innocent Esewuzie.
Launching the scheme recently in Akwukwu-Igbo, the local government chairman, said the prices of food (food inflation in Nigeria) have made feeding difficult for most families in the country and for that reason, his administration had mooted the food market subsidy in the local where people in the communities would buy food items and pay only 50 per cent of the cost of such items through a food voucher while the local government council pays the remaining 50 per cent of the food items.
According to him, the gesture was aimed at promoting access to affordable food items, noting that no community in Oshimili North would be left out in the subsidy market scheme.
He said that the food subsidy is going to be a continuous exercise ‘’to see that we cushion the effect of the food crisis in our local government area”, adding “We mooted the idea of supporting communities with affordable foods through the subsidy model.’’
The food subsidy market has successfully taken off at Akwukwu-Igbo, the local government headquarters and expanded to lllah and Ebu communities, all in Oshimili North.
Esewezie disclosed that all the food vendors were sourced from the communities, adding that what that means was that the local government has successfully put money in the pockets of the vendors, while at the same time, putting food on the table of the people.
Speaking on the development, the former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olise Ifejika commended the Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government, Mr Innocent Esewuzie for the bold and people-oriented initiative to reduce the soaring cost of food items in the area.
Ifejika, who described the initiative as “food O clock”, lauded the establishment of the community-based subsidy market in Ebu, saying that the programme has enabled residents to purchase essential food items at a remarkable 50 per cent discount.
According to him, the market not only addresses the economic strain faced by many households but also demonstrates leadership that is responsive to the welfare of the people.
Ifejika also praised Esewuzie’s track record in infrastructural development, noting that under his administration, Oshimili North has witnessed the construction of new markets, road-tarring projects and cottage hospitals, among others.
He said that the local government chairman understands that development is not complete if the people are hungry, stating, “This subsidy market shows that he wants his people to eat well and live well.’’
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Ebu Kingdom, HRM Obi Paul Ophili, who led the ceremony, offered blessings and expressed gratitude to the Local Government Chairman on behalf of the community for the subsidy market.
Also, the people of Ebu expressed profound gratitude to the local government chairman and the state Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, following the 50 per cent discount on essential food items.
A trader in Asaba, the state capital, Mr Nnoruka Uwabor lauded the proactive approach and sensitivity of the Oshimili North local government chairman to the plight of the people and described the discount as a tangible demonstration of the government’s commitment to the welfare of the masses at this challenging times.
Uwabor described the programme as a welcome development, saying that if well managed, it could be the solution to the ever-rising cost of food items in our markets and communities.
He said, among other things, that the food subsidy market would bring about improved food affordability, food security, health benefits and general welfare and inclusivity, adding that a lot stands to be gained if corruption and leakages could be checked within the system.
Uwabor advised the chairmen of other local government areas to emulate the programme, adding that in the end, Nigerians will be better for it.
