The Nigerian government says plans are almost completed to commence free distribution of grain across the country as part of measures to reduce the impact of hardship citizens are facing. Nigeria is currently facing its worst economic downturn in decades as the inflation rate nears 30 percent, driving up prices of food, transportation and other services…
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through its Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, says it is at the final stages of releasing free 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities to cushion the effect of the economic downturn especially among the vulnerable population.
It declared that grain in various locations of strategic reserve, are now being put together for onward delivery to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
This was disclosed in an update to ramp up food supply by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Onanuga declared that the food will be distributed without any payment when eventually bagged in various sizes.
He added that the grain will be complemented by the 60,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to be purchased by the Federal Government from the Mega Rice Millers.
The media aide to president Tinubu quoted the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, saying that prices of food commodities have dropped significantly in grain markets across Nigeria.
According to Onanuga, the Federal Government is also ramping up food production by boosting Dry Season Farming under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project, Onanuga declared.
Nigeria is currently facing its worst economic downturn in decades as the inflation rate nears 30 percent.
Prices of food, transportation and other services have increased more than 100 percent with calls to the government to act urgently to rescue the situation.
By xamse
February 24, 2024
