President Bola Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to immediately release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, and other commodities from the national strategic reserves.
This is part of measures to address the rising cost of food and current hardship of food shortage in the country.
This was made known by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at the State House in Abuja after a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention.
Idris said the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria has also committed to releasing about 60,000 metric tons of rice to the markets.
What the information minister is saying
- Idris said, “The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri, and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians; 42,000 metric tons immediately,” he told reporters.
- “The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria. Those who are responsible for producing this rice and we have asked them to open up their stores.
- “They’ve told us that they can guarantee about 60,000 metric tons of rice. They will make that available to Nigerians; to bring out to the market to make food available.”
He also said there is an option of importing these grains “if it becomes absolutely necessary, as an interim measure”.
What you should know
- Idris had on Wednesday, February 8, hinted that the Federal Government would release food items from the National Food Reserves as part of the measures to crash food prices.
- He made this known after the meeting of the Special Presidential Committee in Emergency Food Intervention which was at the instance of President Bola Tinubu.
- The meeting which was convened by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, is part of the Federal Government’s move to stem rising food prices in the country.
- Idris explained that major millers and commodity traders would be engaged by the government in order to make the food items readily available.
- He also accused some people of taking advantage of the current situation, especially the high cost and the depreciation in the value of our currency that has led to the cost of these food items also going up.