According to the Federal Government, the 42,000 metric tonnes of cereals that President Bola Tinubu approved will be distributed to Nigerians in need in Niger starting next week.
When visiting Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, on Thursday in Abuja, Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger revealed this. He said that Niger will serve as a test state for the North Central region in terms of grain distribution. Bago promised that there would be no delay in the delivery of the grains.
“We are going to start making deliveries and as we do that we’re talking to the local governments. ” We will take it to the states and then to the Local Governments so that it will be on the template of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
” NEMA and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) will be responsible for the distribution,” he said. Bago said he was in Abuja to discuss with Kyari on the visit of President Bola Tinubu to Niger for the inauguration of the exercise.
Bago said that the Niger had acquired over 120 trucks of grains to complement the Federal Government’s efforts. He said that items to be distributed included rice, millet, guineacorn, sorghum, soya, and beans among others.
Also speaking, Kyari said that the distribution of the grains would begin from the States and then to the local governments. He said that the distribution would be done by NEMA.
“We are going to start from Niger and then go to all the zones for distribution. ” Like I mentioned before, it’s 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains, maize, sorghum, millet and dairy,” he said.
He said that the distribution would be done simultaneously across the states. Kyari said that ONSA, the Department of State Services (DSS), Police, the Armed Forces, NSCDC among others.
” So it’s going to be a very robust operation with even the media and civil societies, religious groups and other unions,” he said. The minister assured that the distribution would be transparent.
” I assure you it’s going to be very transparent. I have seen that robust matrix that has been drawn out.
” So as soon as it’s out, we’re going to declare to everybody, what is going to where and how. So at least those issues will be clearly addressed,” he said. On dry season farming, the minister said the second phase of the dry-season farming would also commence next week.
