About 688,793 metric tonnes of bulk wheat have been scheduled for imports and to be supplied to food markets across the country by the end of October 2024.
This significant influx of wheat is expected to play a crucial role in reducing the overall cost of food items, making essential products more affordable for citizens.
The food items loaded into seven vessels of various sizes started berthing at four seaports along the nation’s border between Wednesday, October 23, and Wednesday, October 30, 2024, according to a document obtained from the Nigerian Port Authority.
The seaports are the Apapa and Tincan ports in Lagos State, Calabar Port in Cross Rivers State, and Rivers Port in Rivers State.
However, efforts to ascertain if the Federal Government was involved in the importation of any of the wheat vessels were unsuccessful, as the federal ministries of agriculture and finance, as well as the Nigerian Customs Service, did not respond to multiple inquiries by newsmen.
Recall that on July 8, 2024, the government announced a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities to ensure a reduction in food inflation in Nigeria. The food commodities include maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas.
It said the programme was meant to help cushion the effects of various factors contributing to food scarcity and price hikes in the country.
The idea was to remove or significantly reduce import duties and value-added tax to encourage an inflow of food imports and drive down consumer prices.
However, the scheme has not achieved its objectives due to the bureaucratic process and the failure of the Federal Ministry of Finance to publish a list of importers qualified to participate in the process.
Responding to a question asked at an inter-ministerial press briefing on October 1, 2024, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, said the government had implemented a stop-gap measure to import wheat and corn.
He said the procured food items would soon arrive in Nigeria, emphasising that the importation measure was an interim measure so that it would not affect local food production.
He said, “In the meantime, there is a short-term measure to import food. The government has already ordered procured maize and wheat which is on its way.”
