Hardship: Tinubu Govt Begins Free Grains Distribution Next Week

The Federal Government is set to commence the free distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains across the country starting next week.

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State made this known on Thursday after a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, in Abuja.

The governor stated that the North Central state would be used as a pilot state before other states would join.

He said: “We are here to discuss with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security with respect to the visit of Mr President to Niger State as regards the commissioning of the mechanisation process that they have been able to provide for agriculture.

“We also discussed the palliatives from the Federal Government in terms of food distribution from all the grain reserves that we have across the country using Niger State as a pilot in the North-Central so that it can commence in earnest.

“The distribution will commence by next week; what we are saying is that Niger State has provided itself as a pilot state in terms of giving the dividends of democracy with respect to agriculture, and as such, our sister states are coming on board.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had, on February 8, directed the release of about 42,000 metric tonnes of maize, millet and other commodities from the national strategic reserves in order to address the rising cost of food.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja after a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention.

Idris also stated that the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria had committed to releasing about 60,000MT of rice to the markets.

Also, on February 14, 2024, the federal government announced that it would distribute the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by the President to poor Nigerians at no cost.