The Federal Government of Nigeria has put up measures to cushion the effect of the lingering hardship across the country.
The move to stem the disturbing tide is hinged on the outbreak of protests in some part of the country over shortage of food and harsh biting cost of living.
A special presidential committee set up to look into the issue met at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday to articulate actions that will offer solution to the problem including the release of available food in stock.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who spoke to News Correspondents after the meeting, said government is concerned about the protests, particularly the one that occurred in Minna, Niger State, and wants to ensure that there is relief for citizens.
He disclosed that the meeting was just the first in the series of planned sessions, assuring that government would make food available from its storages across the country.
Idris said government is also in talks with private millers and major commodity dealers to see what they can provide.
He said: “We just rounded off a meeting. It is a special presidential committee to address the issue of food shortage or lack of enough food on the table of most Nigerians.
“This is just the beginning of that meeting. It is going to continue tomorrow and day after tomorrow. The government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially what happened in Minna yesterday, and therefore government is taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food.
“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country.
“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, discuss with them, provide some intervention to make food available to Nigerians.
He noted that what government had noticed is that there is still food in the country, but some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially because of the depreciation in the value of naira, which has led to the cost of these food items going up.
“Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items. 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,” he added.
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, as well as some other ministers, including ministers of Education, Dr Tahir Mamman; Finance, Wale Edun; Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso.
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