Hunger: States get 20 trucks each as FG shares 740 lorry loads of rice

THE Federal Government said yesterday it has distributed 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

Each state and the FCT was given 20 trucks containing 1,200 bags of 25kg of rice for each truck and the commodity is to be distributed to the most vulnerable in the society.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The minister, who was flanked by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President directed the minister of agriculture to ensure food was made available to Nigerians.

He explained that the distribution of trucks of rice was also to ensure that the hardship in the country was ameliorated, adding that it was expected that state governors would distribute the trucks of rice to the most vulnerable.

He said:  "Today (Monday), we had the eight council meeting of the year 2024 and a number of issues were discussed.  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 agric had earlier been directed to ensure that food is made available to Nigerians. And the understanding is that about 20 trucks of rice have already been supplied to each of the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Each of the trucks of, course, is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice.

"This is part of the measures government is taking, in addition to so many others, to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated.

"So, for a 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 state governors and local governments, 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 state governors will go ahead and distribute this food item to the most vulnerable So that the hardship, as I said, being experienced will be brought down significantly."

On the issue of Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, the minister said  the matter was discussed at the council meeting based on the promise made by the federal government to Nigerians.

"The Federal Executive Council has directed the presidential committee on CNG to expedite its activities to supply buses, to also make it possible for the conversion kits to be available to most Nigerians.

"Already they have started but the Federal Executive Council asked them to redouble their effort, so the conversion kits we need for the CNG is made available.

"Also, the conversion centers that had earlier been approved will also be significantly upgraded so that Nigerians will have more conversion centers, more conversion kits. The compliance level  of CNG, the federal government has directed this should go up, so as to reduce our over-reliance on PMS. And this will in turn also aid our energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.

"Now in all, the federal executive council took note of some of the complaints among Nigerians, some of the issues raised in terms of transportation, in terms of food prices or food shortages in many homes around the country and the federal executive council is ramping up all that needs to be done to ensure food is put on the table of most Nigerians.

"So, what government is doing now is just a necessary first step to ensure that supplies are made available to Nigerians through the state governors. I have told you earlier that 20 trucks of rice already have reached the state governors. All the governors have already taken delivery of that.

"Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria had earlier made available over 2.1 million bags of assorted fertilizer to the ministry of agriculture for onward distribution to the states. So that is also in progress.

''The federal government, will do everything it can to ensure we have more food for our people, investments in the agricultural sector is ramped up and you also know that the federal ministry of livestock development announced by Mr. President, also takes off very soon. So, these are some of the measures and some of the discussions  we had at the federal executive council meeting today (yesterday),'' the minister said.