Revealed: What Nigeria’s Governors Told NSA And Defence Minister Behind Closed Doors

In a united effort to tackle Nigeria’s escalating food crisis, the 36 state governors, under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), have pledged to work with the Federal Government to eliminate illegal checkpoints, unify levies, and facilitate inter-state trade.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This resolution followed a closed-door meeting held Wednesday night with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

Addressing the press after the meeting, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the governors unanimously agreed that the growing number of illegal checkpoints and overlapping taxation were driving up food prices and disrupting national food distribution.

“The Forum was briefed by the NSA, alongside ministers from Defence, Agriculture, Livestock, and Transportation, on factors behind the rising cost of food and livestock logistics. They identified multiple checkpoints, illegal levies, and poor infrastructure as key drivers of inflation and supply chain inefficiencies,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

He added that an inter-ministerial committee had already submitted its findings to the Forum for endorsement. The governors expressed readiness to partner with federal agencies in dismantling illegal roadblocks, harmonizing tax policies, and easing the flow of goods across states.

Sanwo-Olu also revealed that states had collectively invested over $2.2 billion through the NG-CARES platform. According to a World Bank presentation, these investments have positively impacted over 17 million Nigerians.

However, the governors raised concerns about delayed financial commitments from the World Bank under NG-CARES 1.0. They called for a swift resolution to outstanding issues before proceeding to NG-CARES 2.0, which aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable households and small businesses.