In reaction to protests in the states of Niger and Kano, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention to take prompt action to alleviate the rising cost of food in Nigeria. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The government is tackling the issue, according to Information Minister Malam Mohammed Idris, by releasing food from storage facilities and communicating with millers and merchants.
Following the committee’s Tuesday in Abuja meeting, the minister made this revelation. On Monday, demonstrators blocked a major route in Niger State as part of their ongoing protest over the state’s rising food costs.
Additionally, a few ladies in Kano staged a protest last week against the state of Kano’s increased flour prices.
In a Monday meeting with business leaders, Kano Governor Kabir Yusuf pledged to apprise the President of the plight of Nigerians.
Nigeria’s inflation rate has increased to almost 30%, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), mostly due to rising food prices.
President Tinubu was worried about the availability and cost of food in the country, Idris told reporters on Tuesday night.
“What Nigerians are going through, particularly what occurred in Minna yesterday, worries the administration greatly.
Therefore, in order to guarantee that Nigerians have some respite in terms of having food on the table, the government is taking certain initiatives.
Idris said that the committee meeting will go on till Thursday and that certain important steps are already being taken to improve the appalling state of affairs.
“Now, some of them will need unlocking the food that is present in the majority of the nation’s storage facilities, or National Food Reserves.
In order to find out what is offered in their shops, the government is also in communication with significant millers and commodities merchants.
“To open it up, in order for the government to intervene, talk to them about intervening to make this food available to Nigerians.”
He noted that since food is expensive and the value of money is declining, some people are causing shortages, and the government is aware of this.
“I will inform Nigerians that the government must intervene in order to stop this trend, per the President’s directive.
“I want to beg you to understand with the administration that they would not fold their arms and watch as Nigerians suffer due to the scarcity of these staple commodities.
“We’ll be able to release a clear statement on the government’s position in this regard by the end of these meetings.”
Participating in the meeting were the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Yemi Cardoso, the Governor of the Central Bank; Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance; Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Advisor; Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture; Bagudu Atiku, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; and the Ministers of State for Agriculture, Sabi Abdullahi, and FCT, Mariya Mahmoud. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
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