The federal government of Nigeria took a decisive action yesterday to combat the escalating prices of food items across the nation.
A directive was issued for the immediate release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice, maize, millet, and garri from government reserves and the inventories of rice millers, aimed at bolstering the Nigerian market.
The significant decision was reached during the pivotal three-day meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention, chaired by Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, held at the State House in Abuja.
Additionally, the government announced stringent measures against food hoarders, emphasizing its readiness to resort to importing commodities if necessary to alleviate the ongoing shortages.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) convened a crucial meeting with Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), and a representative of the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, to deliberate on tackling pressing national concerns.
In a parallel effort, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, acknowledged the prevailing anxieties surrounding the state of the economy, security, and other pertinent issues. He pledged intensified efforts to address these concerns and alleviate the mounting challenges faced by the nation.
At the same time, the Islamic body Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, urged both federal and state governments to swiftly tackle the economic and security challenges plaguing Nigerians to prevent further deterioration.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, briefed reporters after the State House meeting, announcing that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security would provide 42,000 metric tonnes of maize, millet, garri and other essential commodities. Additionally, rice millers, through their association, pledged to release 62,000 metric tonnes of rice from their reserves.
Idris emphasized, “Today’s meeting once again addressed the issue of the difficulty faced by most Nigerians in putting food on the table and has devised several measures to ensure that food becomes more readily available to Nigerians.”
“Now, the whole idea of this is to crash the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.”42,000 metric tons from the strategic government reserve and about 60,000 metric tons of rice from the rice millers association; they have them in all their storage facilities and government, in conjunction with them, after this exhaustive meeting, has directed that they also bring this out immediately so that the price of rice will come down significantly.”The minister disclosed that, as a last resort, government might import commodities to augment available supplies.
He stated, “Now, the third item is that the government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes absolutely necessary as an interim measure on the short run, to also import some of these commodities immediately so that these commodities can be made available to Nigerians within the next couple of weeks.”Idris stressed that government had firmed up arrangements to invest massively with a view to having a better farming season, in conjunction with farmers and other stakeholders
He emphasized, “Now, with all these emergency measures, there is, of course, a directive to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to invest massively, in conjunction with Nigerian farmers and other producers, so that we can have a better season coming up shortly.”We all know that dry season farming is happening, that will take effect very shortly, and that we hope will also contribute, because as soon as dry season farming gets underway, it is the hope of government that food prices will also come down.
“In the long run, Federal Ministry of Agriculture is going to invest massively so that Nigeria will recover its potential as a food basket and we don’t expect that going forward, we are going to be faced with these challenges again.”
Idris further revealed that the government would addres any attempt to hoard the food items, saying, “Government, of course, is also looking at all those who are hoarding these commodities, because, actually, these commodities are available in the stores of many traders.”Government is appealing to them, that they should open up these stores, and make these commodities available in the interest of our nation. There is no point when the whole country is looking for this food, you are locking up these products so that you make more money and then Nigerians suffer.”Of course, government will not fold its arms. We know where all these major traders are. We know where all these major stores are. And if they don’t respond by bringing these commodities to the market, government will take appropriate measures to ensure that these products are made available to Nigerians.”
On possible sanctions against those hoarding food products, Idris said, “You cannot hold the nation to ransom. You cannot have these commodities and you’re hoarding them in your stores when we all need them. We are in an emergency situation and we’ll take emergency measures to make sure that this food is available to Nigerians.
“What do you think about a general concern of high-level inflation, not only food, that affects the high cost of living in terms of prices of general goods, particularly when it affects forex? When we go to market, we see these goods, we see bags of rice; we see yams in their trucks but everyone tells us about dollar prices to increase garri and millet prices.”Well, people always talk about that; even some commodities that do not have a direct dollar denomination are always quoted in dollar. That is unfortunate. We ask that Nigerians need to be more patriotic. Be our brother’s keepers and sell this thing at a margin, but at a margin that is not also killing Nigerians.”You know, you need to be patriotic at this point. This is an emergency situation. Every nation faces emergency situations like this. It is not the first time that it has happened. Many countries of the world have faced this.”