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 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 the 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 the 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.”
