The 36 state governors have reaffirmed their commitment to work with the federal government to harmonize levies, dismantle illegal checkpoints, and facilitate the seamless movement of goods across states.
The resolution was reached during the Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting held in Abuja.
In a communiqué signed by NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and read by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the forum addressed critical national issues, including the rising cost of food.
“The forum received a briefing from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, accompanied by the Ministers of Defence, Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Transportation, on the rising cost of food and livestock transportation across the country,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
“The presentation revealed that the proliferation of checkpoints, illegal taxation, and poor infrastructure are key contributors to price inflation and inefficiencies in the food supply chain.”
The NSA informed the governors that a high-level inter-ministerial committee had been set up to tackle these challenges and had submitted recommendations for the forum’s endorsement.
“Governors acknowledged the urgency of the matter and expressed commitment to collaborate with federal authorities to streamline levies, dismantle unauthorised checkpoints, and improve the movement of goods across states,” Sanwo-Olu added.
The forum also reviewed the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus programme, following a presentation by the World Bank.
“The Bank highlighted that states made significant investments totalling over US$2.2 billion through the NG-CARES delivery platforms, with verified impacts reaching over 17 million direct beneficiaries,” Sanwo-Olu noted.
However, governors raised concerns over unmet funding pledges by the World Bank under NG-CARES 1.0.
“Governors expressed concern over the non-fulfilment of funding pledges by the bank under NG-CARES 1.0. The forum emphasised the need for an amicable resolution between the World Bank and participating states to conclude the first phase of the programme before advancing to NG-CARES 2.0, which is designed to build long-term resilience for vulnerable households and enterprises.”
The meeting, which ended in the early hours of Thursday, was attended by governors from Kwara, Oyo, Imo, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Osun, Plateau, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Kogi, Ondo, Cross River, Ogun, and Edo states.
