Bashir Ahmad Defends FG’s Food Import Waivers Amid Criticism Over Impact on Local Farmers
Bashir Ahmad, a former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has weighed in on the Federal Government’s controversial move to grant import waivers on essential food items, particularly rice, amid growing concerns about food inflation and widespread hunger.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Ahmad defended the decision as a “necessary short-term measure” in the face of mounting economic hardship, even as critics argue that it undermines local agricultural productivity and worsens the nation’s foreign exchange challenges.
His comments were in response to an earlier post by Dr. Yakubu Sani Wudil, a renewable energy expert and founder of the Arewa Mentorship Forum, who accused the government of prioritizing foreign economies over Nigerian farmers.
“The FG wanted to crash the price of rice. Instead of subsidizing fertilizers, gasoline, and providing modern farm equipment for our farmers, they decided to offer import waivers—building other countries’ economies while our local farmers run at a loss,” Wudil said.
He raised further questions about the sustainability of the policy and its impact on local producers and the value of the naira.
In response, Ahmad acknowledged the legitimacy of the concerns but provided what he described as “a side of the story many are not aware of.”
“To be honest, I am with the Federal Government on this one,” he stated, arguing that the core issue lies not in the policy direction but in the mismanagement of past agricultural support initiatives. Citing the Buhari administration’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP), Ahmad said the government had already made significant investments in local agriculture, with billions of naira disbursed to farmers.
“Some farmers received loans running into billions—some even up to ₦6 billion,” Ahmad claimed. “But instead of investing in agriculture, many diverted the funds to sectors like oil and gas, bureau de change, and other luxury ventures.”
He further alleged that certain farmers who successfully harvested food crops deliberately hoarded their produce to artificially inflate prices, aggravating the food crisis. “They didn’t help stabilise food prices. Instead, they formed cartels, manipulated supply and created artificial scarcity to make outrageous profits.”
Ahmad also revisited the decision by the Buhari administration to close land borders to food importation as a strategy to boost domestic production, a move that attracted significant backlash. “No single policy attracted more criticism for the late President Buhari than the border closure,” he said. “Yet, rice importation dropped, and many Nigerians were pulled out of extreme poverty during that time.”
While acknowledging that import waivers are not an ideal policy, Ahmad argued they are currently the only viable short-term solution. “Yes, food import waivers have consequences, and ideally, they shouldn’t be the go-to option. But given the betrayal of trust by key players in the local value chain, it has become the only immediate relief available to reduce hunger and suffering.”
He concluded by urging a long-term revival and tighter monitoring of agricultural programmes, but insisted: “For now, the people need to feed, first.”
The Tinubu administration has faced mounting pressure over rising food prices, with critics warning that the current import waiver policy, though offering temporary relief, risks discouraging local production and worsening Nigeria’s dependency on foreign goods.
