The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the740 Trucks of Rice is to be distributed to the most vulnerable Nigerians to cushion the effect of economic hardship and to fill the food shortage across the country.
Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.
“The Nigerian Government has directed the distribution of 740 trucks of bags of rice across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT”. He said.
Idris explained that the council had directed the donation of 20 trucks of rice to the 36 state Governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for distribution to the most vulnerable Nigerians in need.
He said; “Now, the council deliberated on the state of affairs in Nigeria, especially the issue of food supply and shortage of food on the table of many Nigerians. After exhaustive deliberation, the Minister of Agriculture was directed to ensure that food is available to Nigerians. The understanding is that about 20 trucks of rice have already been supplied to each of the states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory. Each of the trucks of course is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice.”
The Minister said that “this is part of the measures the government is taking in addition to so many others to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is ameliorated.”
He stressed that the directive is a first step to supporting all the State Governors and Local governments to reduce the hardship of shortage of food supply.
“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 Nigerian government will continue to support all the state governors and local governments, all the subnationals, so that the hardship been experienced by most Nigerians in terms of shortage of food supply is breached,” the Minister explained.
Idris further stated that the Nigerian government expected that the State Governors would proceed with the distribution of the food items to the most vulnerable.
The Minister further clarified that the bags of rice had already been transported to States and the confirmed that the Governors were already receiving the trucks.
He affirmed that the Nigerian government is not saying by the food supply of the bags of rice to States , it is ending the food shortage challenges in the country but using it as a first step in addressing the problem.
He appealed to State governments to ensure effective distribution of the food to ensure that those that are most vulnerable get the food.
“We know that this will not solve the problem entirely but the government will continue to do that. The Nigerian government wants to appeal to sub-nationals to ensure effective distribution of the food to ensure those that are most vulnerable get the food and use it,” the Minister added.
