By Abdullahi Lukman
The 36 state governors under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with the federal government to harmonise levies, eliminate illegal checkpoints, and improve the free movement of goods across Nigerian states.
This pledge came after their meeting in Abuja, where they discussed critical national issues, including the rising cost of food.
The communique, signed by NGF Chairman Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State and read by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, highlighted the forum’s resolve to address challenges hindering food supply and transportation.
At the meeting, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, alongside the Ministers of Defence, Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Transportation, briefed the governors on the impact of checkpoint proliferation, illegal taxation, and poor infrastructure on price inflation and inefficiencies in the food supply chain.
Ribadu also noted that a high-level inter-ministerial committee has submitted recommendations aimed at tackling these issues.
Governors acknowledged the urgency of the matter and expressed readiness to work with federal authorities to streamline levies, dismantle unauthorized checkpoints, and facilitate smoother movement of goods across states.
The forum also received a presentation from the World Bank on the NG-CARES programme. The governors voiced concerns over the non-fulfilment of the World Bank’s funding pledges under NG-CARES 1.0, despite states investing over US$2.2 billion through the programme, benefiting more than 17 million people directly.
They called for an amicable resolution to conclude the first phase before proceeding to NG-CARES 2.0, which aims to strengthen long-term resilience for vulnerable households and enterprises.
The meeting, which concluded 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.
NAN
