The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has raised the alarm over the rising cost of food and livestock transportation across the country under President Bola Tinubu, attributing it to illegal checkpoints, unauthorised taxation, and decaying infrastructure.
This was contained in a communiqué signed by AbdulRahman Abdul Razaq, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, issued at the end of the Forum’s third meeting.
The meeting was held on Wednesday, 18th June 2025, where state governors gathered to discuss major national issues affecting stability and economic development.
The Forum received a joint briefing from the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Honourable Ministers of Defence, Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Transportation, which exposed major causes of food price hikes and supply chain inefficiencies.
“The NSA noted that a high-level inter-ministerial committee has been established to address these concerns and has submitted its recommendations for the endorsement of the Forum.”
“Governors acknowledged the urgency of the matter and expressed commitment to collaborate with federal authorities to streamline levies, dismantle unauthorized checkpoints, and improve the movement of goods across states.”
On economic recovery, the governors engaged with the World Bank over the Nigeria Community Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, where they voiced their dissatisfaction with delayed fulfilment of the Bank’s funding pledges despite states investing heavily.
“Governors expressed concern over the non-fulfilment of funding pledges by the Bank under NG-CARES 1.0.”
“The Forum emphasised the need for an amicable resolution between the World Bank and participating states to conclude the first phase of the programme before advancing to NG-CARES 2.0, which is designed to build long-term resilience for vulnerable households and enterprises.”
The governors resolved to intensify coordination with federal authorities to eliminate obstacles to food movement and ensure accountability in international development support.
