Yesterday, the Federal Government reassured Nigerians that food items would be released from the National Food Reserves as part of efforts to reduce food prices. Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, made this announcement following a meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention convened by President Bola Tinubu.
The meeting, organized by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, is aimed at addressing the increasing food prices in the country. Idris added that the government would engage major millers and commodity traders to ensure the availability of food items.
The minister said: “”We just rounded off a meeting. It is a special presidential committee to address the issue of food shortage or lack of enough food on the table of most Nigerians.
“What I will tell Nigerians is that the President has directed that government needs to step in to stem this tide. Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.
“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country. You know that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has some food reserves. They are going to be made available to Nigerians.
“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores. To open it up, so the government will provide some intervention, discuss with them and provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.”
He, however, alleged that some disgruntled Nigerians were taking advantage of the situation adding that there is still food in this country.
Idris said: “What the government is noticing is that there is still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially because of 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.
“All these issues were discussed; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Yemi Cardoso) was at the meeting. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Wale Edun) was there and of course, the Chief of Staff and the National Security Adviser were there. The NSA was there because of some national security implications.
“All these have been discussed and like I said, this conversation or discussion is going to continue.”
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