Nigerian Youths in Ogun State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to open land borders for the importation of rice as a matter of urgency to avert looming nationwide protests in the country.
The youths under the auspices of the Coalition of Ogun State Youths Forum said this at a press conference on Wednesday, in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
The group said, “If the importation of rice is allowed, the high prices of food in the country will crash without an option.”
While speaking at the press conference, the Spokesperson of the group, Fẹmi Owoẹyẹ, lamented the devastating economic situation of the country and the high cost of living, skyrocketing food prices, among other reasons for hardship in the country.
Owoẹyẹ, who was flanked by the state Coordinator of the coalition, Comrade Sodeinde Daniel, General secretary, Kazeem Baiyewu and the legal adviser of the coalition, Habeeb Whyte, applauded the tenacity of the president to govern the country at a time like this but noted that the government must stand strong and do more.
At the moment, the youths appealed to Nigerians to shelve any planned street protest, until the government refuses to open land borders for the importation of rice in the country.
The group gave the federal government a two-week window to accede to its request or face the wrath of Nigerian youths through protest.
The forum identified hunger as a key challenge in the country, stressing that Nigeria currently has no capacity to feed its citizens and as a result must get help from neighbouring countries.
He said, “One way out of this unbearable economic hardship with the surging prices of food and a lot of hunger in the land is agricultural revolution. The government must make a genuine commitment to investing in sustainable agriculture.
“The youth are ready to engage in various agricultural activities that could help in boosting food production. There should also as a matter of urgency lift whatever importation ban on rice. The policy is said to have been done to protect the local industries but where is the local rice?
“Do you think people will not buy the local rice if they see one in the market? This is the time for policies like this to be overhauled or reviewed, Nigerians are hungry and something needs to be done very urgently.
“We believe that within one month, the government would have begun to consider our demands, failure of which will make this coalition of youth forums which has at least 30 youth groups to storm the streets to press home our demands”.