* Set to release 102,000 metric tonnes of grains from strategic reserve
Following hunger and anger in the land over soaring food prices culminating in some street protests, the Federal Government on Thursday night ordered the release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice and maize to Nigerians.
Even at that, government may embark on food importation of whatever shortfalls that may be experienced, to augment supplies.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while fielding questions from State House correspondents, shortly after the meeting of the Presidential Committee on Food Emergency which held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Idris said President Bola Tinubu directed the committee that food should be made available, “whatever it will take”.
The decisions came after three days of deliberations by the committee, in reaction to the protests by Nigerians in some cities like Minna and Kano over high cost of food and other economic challenges.
According to Idris, “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.
“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. This will be made available and we know that that is enough to take Nigerians the next one month to six weeks, perhaps up to two months 60,000 metric tons. They’ve agreed that they will make that available to Nigerians to bring it out to the market so that food made available.
“Now the whole idea of this is to crash the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.”
He further revealed that the third deci “is that the government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes absolutely necessary as an interim measure on the short run to also import some of these commodities immediately so that these commodities can be made available to Nigerians immediately within the next couple of weeks.
“With all these emergency measures, there is of course a directive to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to invest massively in conjunction with Nigerian farmers and other producers so that we can have better (farming) season coming up shortly.”
On the need for partnership between the Federal government and Nigerian Farmers, the Minister of Information stated that the government has further issued directive to the Minister of Agriculture to invest massively in food production in conjunction with farmers Associations.
His words: “In the long run. Like I said the Minister of agriculture is going to invest massively, massively, so that Nigeria will recover its potential as a food basket and we don’t expect that going forward, we are going to be faced with these challenges again.
“Now, all these emergency measures, there is of course a directive to the Foreign Minister of Agriculture Food Security to invest massively. In conjunction with Nigerian farmers and other producers so that we can have better season coming you know, shortly.
“And that we hope will also contribute because as soon as the trial devices in farming gets underway, it is the hope of government that food prices also come down. Like I said, these are all measures that are taken to immediately and as an emergency measure bring down the cost of food items.
The Minister cautioned Food Traders Association to open their stores for purchase ,warning that the government after appealing to the traders would mete sanctions on erring individuals.
“The Government has also appealed to them that they should open up this these tools make these commodities available. In the interest of our nation. There is no point when the whole country is looking for this food. You are looking at these products whether you make more money and then Nigeria so far, of course government will not fold his arms.
“Even some commodities that do not have direct dollar denomination you know always quoted in dollar that is unfortunate. We ask that Nigerians need to be more patriotic. Be our brothers keepers. Sell this thing of course at the margin, but as a margin that is not also killing to Nigerians, you know, you need to be patriotic at this point.
“This is an emergency situation. Every nation faces emergency situations lead this is not the first time that it has happened. In the world, many countries of the world have faced this is our own time to face this challenge. Government is going to respond adequately and Israel’s already responding adequately”.
