2 months ago
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In a significant move to address food insecurity, the Federal Government has launched a massive nationwide distribution of rice, totalling 740 trucks across the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, on Monday.
Each of the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is set to receive 20 trucks of rice, with each truck carrying approximately 1,200 25kg bags.
This amounts to about 24,000 bags of rice per state, targeting the most vulnerable populations.
“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,” Idris stated.
He emphasised that the rice distribution was part of the government’s broader strategy to alleviate the hardship experienced by many Nigerians due to food shortages.
The Minister urged state governors to ensure swift and equitable distribution of the rice to those most in need.
“It is expected that the state governors will go ahead and distribute this food item to the most vulnerable,” he said, adding that the measure was aimed at significantly reducing the current hardships faced by citizens.
The Minister stressed that the government was committed to ensuring food availability for most Nigerians and will continue to work on making food interventions accessible.
“The Federal Executive Council is ramping up all that needs to be done to ensure that food is being put on the table of most Nigerians,” he stated.
In addition to the rice distribution, Idris highlighted ongoing efforts to boost agricultural productivity.
He revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made available over 2.1 million bags of assorted fertilizer to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for onward distribution to the states.
The initiative was expected to support farmers and enhance crop yields across the country.
Looking ahead, the Minister announced that investments in the agricultural sector would be increased.
He also mentioned the imminent launch of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, a new initiative announced by President Tinubu, which is expected to further strengthen the country’s agricultural capabilities.
Idris reassured the public that the Federal Government was committed to doing everything within its power to ensure increased food production and availability for the Nigerian people.
In addition to the food distribution initiative, the FEC has directed the Presidential Committee on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to accelerate its activities.
This includes increasing the supply of CNG-compatible buses and making conversion kits more widely available to the public.
The government aims to boost the adoption of CNG as an alternative fuel source, reducing the country’s dependence on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and supporting Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy.
The Minister also noted that previously approved conversion centers will be significantly upgraded to increase their capacity and accessibility for Nigerians seeking to convert their vehicles to CNG.
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