Some stakeholders in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have urged the Federal Government to improve food security nationwide.
They also appealed to the federal government to beef up security in the country.
The stakeholders spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, while assessing the one-year performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
They said Nigeria still had the opportunities to grow and improve on the economy even though the year was full of economic challenges.
Mr John Awoyi, President, Bwari Youth Forum, said the past one year had been challenging for citizens, especially with the increase in the cost of living.
He, however, said that if the government could improve on food security to address the rising cost of living and the issue of insecurity, Nigerians would be proud of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.
“I can say that the administration has done well in tackling the issue of insecurity in Bwari Area Council.
”The council had suffered insecurity for years now but from December up until now, we have enjoyed relative peace.
“However, if the Federal Government can extend this type of proactive measure to other parts of the country that are suffering from banditry, kidnappings and other forms of insecurity, it will be good,”he said.
Awoyi also called on the federal government to support the agricultural sector as it was the only way to ensure food security.
”We need to support the agriculture sector by supporting the farmers to produce more.
”There is need to meet the demands of the farmers at the grassroots because they are key to the major food chain.
”The government should find ways to bring down prices of goods and services that have already risen too high for the average Nigerians,” he said.
Awoyi also urged the federal government to consider implementing policies that are people friendly.
Similarly, Madam Agnes Oroboh, a market leader in the area also appealed to the federal government to consider putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians.
”Government needs to end the suffering of the people as we are yet to get an ease from the removal of fuel subsidy by implementing policies that will bring swift solutions to the ones already on ground.”
She said that business owners have not had things easy as they have had to struggle with meagre resources to meet up their customers’ demands.
She appealed to the federal government to work out modalities that would impact on Small Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) that would help people to access loans and other government incentives.
Also, Mr Ayu Jonathan, a major electronics distributor, said that government needed to improve on power supply, adding that consistent power outage was a major setback to SMEs.
Jonathan urged the federal government to look into the epileptic power supply in Abuja and the nation at large and find a lasting solution to the issue, including transportation and rising food prices.
On her part, Mrs Maryamu Barnabas, a politician and an activist, however, lauded the efforts of Tinubu-led administration while assuring that, things might look hard for now but better days lied ahead.
She said that the administration’s policies may look tedious to Nigerians at the moment but was for good.
She also urged Nigerians to continually pray for the leaders and the country, while also urging them to be patient and allow God take control of every situation. (NAN
