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By Davy Fidel, Freelancer
Since the lockdown that shipwreck a lot of countries undergoing an economic downturn, millions of Nigerians wearing the shackles of economic hardship, have witnessed a sharp rise in food prices shockingly. A recent report confirms it statistically. Business Day said, " 60kg of yellow garri currently sells for N19, 000 as against N9, 600 sold in December 2020, a 97 percent rise in price" (Tues, 06 July 2021).
The same report also states, "while a 60kg of white garri currently sells for N18, 000 as against N9, 000 sold in December 2020, a 100 percent increase in price." Thus, this increase is not only for wheat, garri but other foodstuffs in the market. Rice, beans, palm oil, groundnut oil included, have also gone up by the same 100 percent, beyond affordability of the poor working-class families, fighting hard to survive the Buhari-led government.
This sharp increase in food items has also affected traders who trade on food. The complaint is that if the prices of food keep rising, it will be too consequential to bear. The pandemic is an obvious fact, which confirms the incapacity of the Buhari government and capitalism to tackle the rise of hunger. The lockdown also demonstrated this fact where palliatives were diverted to the corners of public of ficeholders and friends of the capitalist government.
The unfortunate reality is that during the lockdown, many working-class families barely ate. Even to get a cup of rice, beans, or paint of garri was by miracle. Millions of Nigerians have to hunt for food to survive the next day. And now, food prices are increasing on daily basis, the fear is, in 2022, it will get worse. With the exchange of N503 to $1, it means if nothing is done the economy will witness further drowning and backlash, worse than the previous recession.
Currently, the Nigerian economy is in low productivity. Trading Economics in their report said the Nigeria "GDP declined 13.9%, after expanding 9.7% in the previous quarter, reflecting a generally slower pace of economic activities at the start of the year." The open economy, which is vulnerable to developments, demonstrated the direction in which the ruling elites in Nigeria are riding it. Neo-liberalism, a byproduct of capitalism has cemented the economy with the daily importation of items including food.
The Nigeria Bureau of statistics has it that importation has taken a larger part of the Nigerian economy. In the first three months of 2021, Nigeria imported wheat worth N258.3 billion. This is against "N127.9 billion in the same period of 2020, a 102 percent increase in value" as reported by Business Day. The background of these statistics reveals that neo-liberalism is not leading the economy anywhere but dependence and disaster.
The agricultural sector, which supposes to be a huge source of industrializing the economy, continues to suffer sloppiness because of the recurrent policies serving the interest of capitalist politicians. The Nigerian economy won't develop if the government continues to roll out policies of underdevelopment and open economy that is not serving any good to developments but underdevelopment, something importation of food reveals consequentially.
The Global Report on Food Crises, 2021 spoke on the danger of food crisis linked to the unresolved insecurity caused by the government. That, if nothing is done, it is expected to "persists through at least January 2022." The Nation also mentioned that "13 million Nigerians risk acute food insecurity." Both analyses demonstrate obvious contradiction rooted in capitalism. Despite the claim fighting corruption, however, speaks nonsense of the 100 million to lift out of poverty, according to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
TOUGHER TIMES AHEAD FOR WORKING-CLASS FAMILIES
The sharp drop in the crude oil price, which has a huge effect on the Nigerian mono-economic system and the folding up of the year 2021, explaining tougher times. Invariably, the Year 2022 shall hit hard on working-class families, who are still recovering from the difficulties of the lockdown, the Buhari government imprisoned millions of Nigerians with hunger and poverty, in respective of the paltry palliative claimed to have distributed.
The 2021 budget attests to the fact that next year shall come heavily. Nigeria is in serious debt and the government is on its way to servicing this debt by cutting down capital expenditure as it shall be reflected in the subsequent budget. The government has claimed that these challenges are because of the temporary setback tied to the pandemic according to government spokespersons.
However, the recent testimony demonstrates that there is no alternative provided. The working masses and trdae unions have to resist all anti-poor policies like hike in fuel price and electricity tariff, school fees hike, increase in taxes and non-implmentation of minimum wage which compound already bad situation.
The excuse of fighting insecurity is no longer acceptable. In the last five years, the allocation for the military has been high as N878.4 billion and N840.56 earmarked especially in the 2020 and 2021 budget to fight terrorism without any significant progress. However, this is at the great expense of the agricultural sector and social services, which are suffering a lack of fundamental improvement. The production of food items compared to the last 10-20 years has dropped drastically because of the low budgetary allocation to agriculture.
With the increase of food items, the looming fear among working people is that, it will be twice difficult for them compared to what is currently obtainable. Many working-class families relying on the minimum wage of $59.6 (30 days) won't be able to bear 2022 without organizing themselves to protest against the regime. Despite the government's plan to enact laws stopping freedom of speech and the right to protest, it won't stop the mass movement from breaking out.
THE GOVERNMENT EXCUSE IS NOT WORKING FIGHTING INSECURITIES
(The government excuse is not working fighting insecurity, a major sector that had recorded huge allocation expended. The anti-open grazing law, which 17 southern governors resolved to implement on September 1, was to hide behind the feature recurring clashes between farmers and herders that have erupted in the state of the nation for months.
The resolution as reported by the media didn't mention how to orient its policy towards tackling the rapid increase of food items. Rather, what the 17 governors including Lagos State have successfully implemented, was to "set a timeline" for the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law. The idea behind the 17 southern resolutions was claimed to boost the frontlines of fighting insecurity.
Consequentially, what will follow after September 1 is that the 17 governors and the Federal government, will rearm the agenda of saying the country needs more security than ever, increasing budgetary allocation for the states. The implications of this move will add more to the decadence of the agricultural sector and other producing sectors degenerated.
The anti-open grazing law won't fundamentally resolve the feud. Massive state public funding in ranching, crom farming, and animal husbandry is are required to avert such a fearful increase of hunger and food items in short and long terms. Without this massive investment under democratic management and control by workers and poor farmers, the open grazing agenda will be another attempt to plunge Nigeria in a sectarian divide.
UNDER SOCIALISM, HOW WILL THE FOOD CRISIS BE TACKLE?
Of course, capitalism has failed to move humanity forward. But under socialism, the question of using public funds under democratic management and control of workers and poor farmers as a principle will be massively utilized to tackle the rise of hunger, poverty, and unemployment including underdevelopment caused by profit-driven agenda.
Practically, farmers and herders including workers, if in power under a socialist government, will set up committees democratically elected in workplaces, factories, and in the rural areas, to discuss matters of development like industrialization, agriculture, science, and technology that will improve human development and tackle the challenges of food crisis.
This is an approach that will guarantee the development the working masses desire. The recent happenings constituted under the failed policies of privatization, deregulation, and commercialization of the major sectors of the economy including under-investing the agricultural sector, speaks largely why socialist alternative remains what the working masses need to permanently tackle hunger, poverty, and under development.
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