Some portions of the 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains provided by the Federal Government to help cushion the food crisis in Nigeria have arrived in at least eight states across the country, while the movement of the commodities to other states is ongoing.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security confirmed on Monday that the grains had arrived in Kano, Kwara, Kogi, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Taraba, among others.
The Director, Food and Strategic Reserve, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFs), Sule Haruna, told The PUNCH that the FMAFS in conjunction with partner agencies of government was complying with the directive of President Bola Tinubu with respect to distributing the food items to states.
President Tinubu had in February ordered the release of 42 metric tonnes of grains from the national grains reserves to cushion the food crisis in the country.
The government said in addition it reached an agreement with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria to release 60 metric tonnes, making a total of 106 metric tonnes of grains.
Announcing the initiative, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said, “The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri, and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians; 42,000 metric tons immediately.
“The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria. Those who are responsible for producing this rice and we have asked them to open up their stores”.
Giving an update on the initiative on Monday, the Director, Food and Strategic Reserve, Haruna, said, “The grains are being moved to all the states. It is not a question of one state or the other, rather it is to every state of the federation, including the FCT. They are all included in the mandate and the distribution is currently ongoing for all the assorted food items.
“Additional details would have been released, but everyone is just being careful because of the way they are jumping onto the trucks. This is why we have been quiet about it”, he stated.
When told that some of the grains were distributed in Kano State on Monday, Haruna replied, “Not only in Kano. If you go to Yola, it is there; go to Kogi, it is there; Kebbi, Sokoto, Taraba, everywhere. It is just that we don’t have to make noise about it.
“Very soon the minister is going to call you (journalists) and there will be a kind of symbolic ceremony. But right now we have to be very careful because the way people started hijacking the commodities and climbing the trucks made everyone afraid.
“However, I want to assure you that the movement of the grains to all the states is ongoing. If you call Ebonyi now, they will tell you yes. We are just being careful, but I want to let you know that it is going on. If you call Kwara now, they will tell you the same thing”.
Asked to specifically confirm if the grains had reached all the states of the federation, the agriculture ministry director said, “As I am talking to you now, the grains including rice, maize, sorghum, garri, etc, their lifting is ongoing. They are being moved to states.
“You are the one who confirmed to me now that in Kano they have started distributing to the residents. So, I am telling you that the lifting of these grains to all states of the federation is ongoing and Mr President’s directive is being complied with”.
On Monday, the Kano State Government took delivery of 162 trucks of grains of the Federal Government.
The consignment comprised 100 trucks of rice, 44 trucks of sorghum, 14 trucks of millet and four trucks of maize.
The Director General, Media and Publicity, Sanusi Tofa, who briefed newsmen in Kano, said the state also received a total of 120,000 10kg bags from the Dangote Foundation.
“Apart from all these donations, the state government is giving out 145 trucks of assorted grains for distribution to the 44 Local Government Areas and 484 wards”, he said.
