10 things President Tinubu needs to do this week to combat the runaway inflation that is currently ravaging Nigeria

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Create a Presidential Anti-Inflationary Directorate (Paid) headed by a leading economist like Lamidi Sanusi, Arunma Oteh, Emmanuel Nnadozie, Obiageli Ezekwesili, etc

[2] Ringfence certain staples like gari, rice, pepper, tomatoes, onions, yam, cooking oil, cassava, etc. Put them on what should be termed the Exclusive Food List (EFL)

[3] Place the distribution of all items on the EFL under the control of Paid

[4] Give Paid the authority to set the prices of these staples and fix such prices where necessary

[5] Provide Paid with the authority to import any item on the EFL for which there is a domestic shortage

[6] Open up Paid warehouses across all 774 local government areas where farmers can sell food crops at subsidised prices to the government

[7] Offer interest-free loans to any farmer who can provide details of plans to increase his or her output by at least 10%

[8] Do whatever it takes to get the Dangote refinery to start the mass production of fuel this February

[9] Offer Paid-backed petrol vouchers to transporters supplying or delivering food items

[10] Over the medium to long term, introduce plans to increase agricultural output by improving rural roads, on-farm storage, refrigeration and silo construction