FG manipulating food prices for political gains, ADC alleges

By Euclid Myke, Abuja


The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of deliberately manipulating food prices to create a false impression of economic progress while millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with hunger and worsening living conditions.

The ADC’s statement comes amid growing debate over the federal government’s recent announcement that food prices had begun to drop following a series of import waivers and intervention measures. Last month, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security announced that the administration was working to stabilise prices by allowing the importation of essential food items such as rice, wheat, and maize through duty-free channels.

Officials have credited these policies with easing food inflation, which had remained one of the highest components of Nigeria’s overall inflation rate, standing at over 30 percent as of September 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).


But in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Monday, the party described the government’s recent claims of increased local food production and falling food prices as “dishonest and misleading.” It said the administration was using “import waivers and propaganda” to distort the realities of widespread hardship across the country.

“The reported drop in the prices of some food items is artificial, and a result of import waivers that have flooded the market with cheap foreign food. It is neither evidence of sound policy nor proof of increased local production,” the party stated.


The opposition coalition party accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of using import-driven price cuts to create temporary relief while undermining local farmers who cannot compete due to the high cost of fertilisers, rising energy costs, and persistent insecurity.

“While the government celebrates a supposed decline in food prices, the reality on the ground, as confirmed by struggling farmers and families, is that hunger has become a political tool. This is propaganda designed to manufacture the illusion of economic recovery while citizens continue to suffer,” the statement said.

According to the ADC, most farmers in the northern region have been displaced by banditry, while those still cultivating struggle to afford fertilisers and other inputs. “How can production be increasing when the rural economy is under siege and the average farmer can no longer plant?” it queried.


The opposition party also expressed disbelief at government claims that imported food had not yet been released into the market, accusing authorities of hoarding food while citizens starve.

“If we are to even momentarily entertain this falsehood, it begs an even more damning question: why is the government hoarding food while the people go hungry? What sort of administration stores food in warehouses during a hunger crisis?” the ADC asked.

Calling for a complete overhaul of the nation’s agricultural policies, the party urged the government to prioritise security for farmers, support local production, stabilise food prices, and pursue long-term food sovereignty rather than short-term optics.


“The Nigerian people deserve truth and food, not manipulation and a false narrative of renewed hope,” the ADC declared