Pat Utomi Questions Tinubu’s Policies Amid Rising Food Costs

Pat Utomi Questions Tinubu’s Policies Amid Rising Food Costs

Political economist Pat Utomi criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for ignoring his advice on addressing food inflation. Utomi, speaking through his X account, lamented that Tinubu’s government has prioritized issues such as presidential jets, the Lagos-Calabar highway, and SUVs for lawmakers, rather than tackling food inflation……. CONTINUE READING

He described this decision as the pinnacle of ‘unwisdom’ and expressed deep concern over the detrimental impact of misguided policies introduced by the government. Utomi highlighted the consequences of poor trade policies and the dominance of oil income, which led to cash crop farmers abandoning their farms. This shift, coupled with oil price volatility affecting construction firms, worsened economic conditions and contributed to a mono-product economy.

Utomi criticized the government for perpetuating dependence on food imports despite financial constraints, warning of potential famine. He previously advocated for combating food price inflation through strategic measures such as deploying forest rangers to fertile areas and providing farmers with incentives managed by NGOs to focus on short-term harvests. Instead, the government’s focus on non-essential expenditures underscores, in Utomi’s view, a lack of foresight.

He concluded by cautioning against further long-term structural damage caused by panic-driven incentives and appealed for more prudent economic policies to safeguard the nation’s future.