FG: We’ll open reserves to address rising food costs

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says the federal government is planning to unlock the national food reserves to ameliorate the effect of food inflation on the citizenry. 

On Monday, some residents of Minna, capital city of Niger state, blocked major roads in the metropolis to protest the rising cost of living in the country.

A similar protest was staged in Kano hours later.

On Tuesday, a presidential committee on emergency food intervention met at the presidential villa.

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Idris said the government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through.

“Of course, this meeting is not by itself exhaustive. It is going to continue tomorrow and the day after,” he said.
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“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the food that is available in most of the storage facilities around the country.

“You know that the federal ministry of agriculture has some food reserves. That is going to be made available to Nigerians. ⁣
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“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores, to open it up, so that government will provide some intervention and make this food available to Nigerians.⁣”

Idris said the government has noticed that there is sufficient food in the country which is being hoarded on the basis of the depreciation of the naira.

“Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items,” he said.

⁣“So I want to plead with you to understand with the government. By the time these meetings are concluded, we’ll be able to issue a definite statement on what the position of government is in this regard.

“But all I can say is that discussions are ongoing, and very soon a solution is in sight for Nigerians.”