Food crisis dominated discussion at yesterday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
It was the second meeting of the highest decision making of the Executive in five days to take decision on crucial issues affecting the people.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris announced after the meeting the supply of 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This is made up of 20 trucks per state containing 1,200 25kg rice bags.
It is part of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention to alleviate the food crisis.
The minister, who was with Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga added that President Tinubu directed Agriculture Minister to ensure the food reached the most vulnerable in their states.
He said: “The council deliberated on the state of affairs in Nigeria, especially the issue of food supply and shortage of food on the tables of many Nigerians and after exhaustive deliberation, the Minister of Agriculture had earlier been directed to ensure that food is being made available to Nigerians and the understanding is that about 20 trucks of rice has already been supplied to each of the states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory. Each of the trucks is carrying about 1,200 bags of 25 kilogramme rice.
“This 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.
“So for recap, each of the state governments has received 20 trucks of rice for onward distribution to the most vulnerable. This is a first step and the federal government will continue to support all the sub-nationals, so that the hardship being experienced by most Nigerians, in terms of shortage of food supply, is breached.
“It is expected that the state governors will go ahead to distribute this food item to the most vulnerable so that the hardship, like I said, being experienced will be brought down significantly.”
The minister added that FEC directed the presidential Committee on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to expedite action on CNG-compliant buses to address high cost of transportation in the country.
He said: “The Federal Executive Council has directed the presidential Committee on CNG to expedite its activities to supply buses, to also make it possible for the conversion kits to be available to most Nigerians.
“Already they have started but FEC asked them to redouble their effort. So that conversion kits that we need for the CNG are made available.
“Also the conversion centres that had earlier been approved will also be significantly upgraded so that Nigerians will have more conversion centres, more conversion kits. The compliance level of CNG, the Federal Government has directed this should go up, so as to reduce our over reliance on PMS(premium motor spirit) or petrol. And this will in turn also aid our energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
“Now in all, FEC took note of some of the complaints by Nigerians, some of the issues raised in terms of transportation, in terms of food prices or food shortages in many homes around the country. FEC is ramping up all that needs to be done to ensure that food is being put on the table of most Nigerians.
“What government is doing now is just a necessary first step to ensure that supplies are made available to Nigerians through the governors..
“And the government will continue to work to ensure that food intervention is made available. This of course is an addition to the effort that government is making in terms of fertiliser supply which is already also being processed. Most of the governors will also have support.
“Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria had earlier made available over 2.1 million bags of assorted fertiliser to the Ministry of Agriculture for onward distribution to the states. So that is also in progress.
“The Federal Government, will do everything it can to ensure that we have more food for our people, Investments in the agricultural sector is ramped up and you also know that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development that was announced by Mr. President, also takes off very soon.
“So these are some of the measures and some of the discussions that we had at the federal executive council meeting today. We hope that council meeting also continue next week.”