Olusegun Ariyo
The Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, has reiterated its commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government to harmonise levies, remove illegal checkpoints, and enhance the free movement of goods across states.
The 36 governors committed after their meeting in Abuja, in a communique signed by the forum Chairman and Governor of Kwara state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and read by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Sanwo-Olu said that the forum at the meeting deliberated on issues affecting the country, including the rising cost of food in the country.
“The forum received a briefing from the National Security Adviser, NSA, 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.
“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 noted that a high-level inter-ministerial committee has been established to address these concerns and has submitted its recommendations for the endorsement of the forum.
“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,” he said
According to Sanwo-Olu, the forum also received a presentation from the World Bank on the NG-CARES program, expressing the governors’ concerns over the non-fulfilment of the bank’s funding pledges under the NG-CARES 1.0 program.
Sanwo-Olu further explained that the Bank highlighted that states made significant investments totaling over US$2.2 billion through the NG-CARES delivery platforms, with verified impacts reaching over 17 million direct beneficiaries.
“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 program before advancing to NG-CARES 2.0, which is designed to build long-term resilience for vulnerable households and enterprises,” he said.
