The Federal Government is to commence the distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains across the country beginning with Niger State from next week.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, who announced this at the Abuja headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security after a meeting with the agric minister, said Niger would be used as a pilot state before other states would join.
He said the aim of the visit was to discuss with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security with respect to the visit of Mr President to Niger State as regards the commissioning of the mechanisation process that they have been able to provide for agriculture.
President Bola Tinubu had on February 8 directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release about 42,000MT of maize, millet and other commodities from the national strategic reserves in order to address the rising cost of food in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja after a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention.
Idris had also stated that the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria had committed to releasing about 60,000MT of rice to the markets, following tension in the country over the rising cost of food.
Also on February 14, 2024, the Federal Government announced that it would distribute the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by the President to poor Nigerians at no cost.
It also announced that the Department of State Services and the National Emergency Management Agency had been engaged in the distribution process to ensure that the commodities get to the targeted citizens nationwide.