President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of more than 102,000 metric tonnes of various grain kinds from the Strategic Reserve and the Nigerian Rice Millers Association on Thursday.
Tinubu warned that people who hoarded food would be dealt with.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, told State House Correspondents on Thursday that the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention has completed its three meetings at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
Deliberations began on Tuesday after furious youths and women marched through Minna, the capital of Niger State, and Kano to protest what they perceived as the country’s growing living costs. Similar protests erupted in Ondo State.
After the first meeting, the Tinubu-led Federal Government said it was “very concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially with what happened in Minna.”
It added that it was “taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food on the table.”
Speaking on arrangements agreed upon at the final session, Idris said, “The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to release about 42,000 metric tonnes of maize, millet, garri, and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians; 42,000 metric tonnes immediately.
“The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria. We have asked those who are responsible for producing this rice to open up their stores.
“They’ve told us they can guarantee about 60,000 metric tonnes of rice. This will be made available, and we know that is enough to take Nigerians the next month to six weeks, perhaps up to two months.”
Idris stated that Tinubu’s administration would import supplies to supplement shortages detected following the delivery of the food products.
“Now, the third item is that the government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes necessary, of importing some of these commodities as an interim measure in the short run,” he revealed.
The aim of the assorted measures, Idris said, was “to crash the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.”
He said, “42,000 metric tons from the strategic government reserve, about 60,000 metric tons of rice from the Rice Millers Association, they have them in all their storage facilities and government, in conjunction with them after this exhaustive meeting, has directed that they also bring this out immediately so that the price of rice will come down significantly.
“These are all measures taken to bring down the cost of food items immediately.”
