The Senator representing Ondo South, Senatorial District, Jimih Ibrahim hasurged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance to implement a food voucher program aimed at alleviating hunger in the nation.
Ibrahim presented his suggestion during a press conference held in Washington DC, where he was joined by Olayemi Cardoso, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Wale Edun, the finance minister; and various other government representatives.
He said, “stabilise the naira and remove 20 million Nigerians suffering from hunger and food insecurity.
“It will reduce inflation because you are using vouchers as opposed to using cash.
“This is a harmonious policy, and when it’s done, it will help the government to have a direct impact on those who are affected by poverty and food insecurity. So, vouchers for food is very significant.
“Imagine you give N100,000 per month to anybody above 18 years that is really affected by food insecurity and poverty, you see every month they draw down on this in the first one year. It makes more sense than some palliatives that have to do with solar power and things like that.
“It’s very important because when you don’t solve the problem of food and hunger, then you are looking for crisis. This is why we are saying that the economic policy of the central bank and the ministry of finance should be harmonised, and then we can have a clear account to print vouchers for food.”
