As part of measures to cushion the country’s current food crisis, the Federal Government has donated about twenty trucks of rice to the thirty-six states of the federation and the FCT.
The minister of Information Minister and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
He said the move is part of the measures that Government is taking in addition to so many others to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated.
The Minister said each of the trucks is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice which are expected to be distributed to vulnerable Nigerians by the State governments.
Idris who emphasised the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to social welfare and ensuring food access for all Nigerians, said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to tackle food security issues, exacerbated by ongoing economic hardships.
Nigerians have been grappling with a cost of living crisis since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of subsidies on petrol last year.
Rice is one of the most common foods in Nigerian homes, but due to its high prices, it has become out of reach for millions. The price of basic foods has tripled in some cases, with a 50-kg bag of rice rising from about N20,000 to over N60,000.
Yesterday’s announcement comes a few days after the Government approved the duty-free importation of major food items like rice, beans, and wheat.
However, some Nigerians, including Akinwunmi Adesina of the African Development Bank, (AfDB), have criticised the food importation policy.