In a bid to alleviate the burden of rising food prices on Nigerians, the Federal Government has announced plans to release food items from the National Food Reserves. The assurance came yesterday following a meeting of the Special Presidential Committee in Emergency Food Intervention, convened at the instance of President Bola Tinubu.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed the government’s commitment to tackling the issue during a press briefing after the meeting. The gathering, spearheaded by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, aims to address the escalating food crisis in the country.
Idris stated, “The President has directed that government needs to step in to stem this tide. Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.” He emphasized that efforts would include unlocking food reserves across the country and engaging major millers and commodity traders to make essential food items readily available to the populace.
Despite acknowledging the existence of food in the country, Idris expressed concern over certain individuals exploiting the situation for personal gain. “Some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially because of the high cost and the depreciation in the value of our currency that has led to the cost of these food items also going up,” he remarked.
The meeting, attended by key figures including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso, and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, addressed national security implications arising from the food crisis. Idris assured that the government would continue discussions to formulate comprehensive solutions to the challenges faced by Nigerians.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the Minister affirmed, “The government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through.” He assured that ongoing discussions would yield tangible outcomes in the coming days.
As discussions progress, the government pledges to take decisive steps to provide relief to Nigerians grappling with the impact of skyrocketing food prices.
