NEGF Warns Of Looming Food Crisis, Seeks Subsidized Agricultural  Inputs For Farmers

North East Governors at NEGF meeting in Jalingo

The North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has raised alarm over high cost of agricultural inputs which it said might cause negative consequences on agriculture in the region and Nigeria in general.

The forum raised the concern in its communique issued at the end of its 12th meeting in Jalingo, Taraba State.

The communique signed by its Chairman and Governor of Borno State,  Prof. Babagana Zulum, urged for more subsidies to farmers and adequate preparations for irrigation farming to boost production to avert food crisis.

The seven points communique include:

“Forum acknowledges the appreciable success recorded in the onslaught against the insurgency in the north-East but regrets that the subregion is still confronted by daunting humanitarian and infrastructural challenges.

“The forum took into cognizance the forecast of the credible agencies on climate risk and the impending flood disaster in the subregion. It therefore calls for proactive measures in confronting the flood and robust sensitization of settlers along the flood plains.

“It also called for support from both the Federal Government and NEDC to reconstruct the broken infrastructure, especially bridges by the flood.

“The forum decries the high cost of Agricultural inputs which might have direct negative consequences on farm outputs next year. To avert impending food crises ahead, it calls for more subsidies to farmers and robust preparation for dry season farming.

“Forum agrees to hold the North East Trade fair in partnership with NECCIMA, in Maiduguri, Borno state, December, 2025.

“While building on the early commitment of exploring solar option as a low hanging fruit, Forum recommits to subduing energy poverty by tasking the Committee on Power and Energy in the subregion to come up with an integrated subregional power Masterplan.

“The Forum congratulates the University of Maiduguri which is a legacy University in the subregion for its golden jubilee. It also expresses its willingness to support the 50th anniversary celebration and the re-launch of the University Endowment Fund coming up in November, 2025.”

The forum appreciates the level of cooperation and collaboration among member states in the subregion, and  recommit itself to the pursuit of common issues of subregional concern as well as pursuance of collective course on matters that are related to the  security, social and economic integration of the subregion.

The next meeting of the forum is to be held in Maiduguri between 12th-14th December.

States that constitute NEGF comprised Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.