April 12, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 40,000 metric tonnes of various grains from the Strategic Grains Reserve, to cushion the effect of high food prices in Nigeria, due to the festive season.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, disclosed the development to State House Correspondents, after a meeting with the President on Tuesday, at the State House, Abuja.
“I was summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Villa and he actually directed and approved the release of grains by the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, from our strategic grains reserve.
“This is to cushion the effect of some of the issues we are facing with the high prices of commodities across the country and also to cushion this season of Ramadan, Sallah and Easter
“In all, over 40,000 metric tonnes would be released form the Strategic Grains Reserve. These are assorted grains; usually we have sorghum, maize, millet, and the rest of them and the grain reserves are located across the entire country”, he said.
Abubakar also revealed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development will handle the distribution of 12,000 metric tonnes.
“We will also be giving some of these grains to the Humanitarian Ministry, to also do the same distribution, as directed also by the President. We will start with 12,000 metric tonnes, which we will handover to the Humanitarian Ministry in the first instance”, the Minister stated.
He said the same process deployed during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, to distribute 70,000 Metric tonnes of assorted food items across some states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), would be used.
The Minister said in compliance with the presidential directive, the grains are readily available for immediate distribution.
Commenting on the current security challenges in some parts of the country, the Minister said that will not jeopardise the distribution of the grains.
He, however, said the challenges have not led to any sharp decrease in food production, adding that the government is doing everything possible to ensure that food production continues.
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