On Monday, some youths and women of Niger State took to the streets of Minna, the state capital protesting against what they termed as severe hardship and the increasing cost of living in the country.
On Tuesday, the ruling All Progressives Congress accused opposition parties in the country of orchestrating the protests.
Reacting, the Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the APC’s comment as insensitive.
However, the NGF, on Thursday, called for stakeholders synergy to address the economic and security challenges, following an emergency virtual meeting with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and a representative of the Director General of the Department of State Service.
The forum, in a communiqué signed by its Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, urged the Federal Government to reduce foreign exchange demand, thereby lessening dependence on foreign exchange, imported goods and services.
It stated, “We resolved as follows: Recognised the need to address the connection between food inflation, naira depreciation, and rising insecurity across parts of the country from a systemic perspective and called for urgent discussions with and synergy amongst stakeholders in improving the situation in the shortest possible time.
“Agreed on the following immediate actions: reduce foreign exchange demand: by use of moral suasion to reduce dependence on foreign exchange, imported goods and services.
“Improve foreign exchange supply: by easing commodity export requirements to encourage exportation and supply of foreign exchange; curbing illegal export of solid minerals; and increasing crude oil production to earn more foreign exchange.
“Support improved enforcement efforts: by reviewing the extant criminal justice laws in the states to ensure quick dispensation of justice on perpetrators of insecurity in the states; supporting the office of the National Security Adviser in the states to enhance the nature and quality of intelligence.
“Reiterated governors’ commitment to deploying emergency food interventions, including incentivizing food production, the release of food items from strategic food reserves, and collaboration with food millers and commodity traders in their various states to boost food availability as an immediate short-term action.”
