President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi, to collaborate with governors in addressing the issue of hoarding food items in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
This decision follows a meeting between President Tinubu and state governors in Abuja to discuss the ongoing food crisis and rising prices.
Protests erupted in Niger State last week in response to the increasing cost of food items, with allegations pointing to hoarding by some middlemen.
In Kano State, the government took action by confiscating 10 warehouses where food items were reportedly being hoarded.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed that President Tinubu instructed the security heads to coordinate with state governors to address the challenge of hoarding commodities.
Idris said, “At this point, the nation requires food to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians. Commodity sellers are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.”
Idris said that this decision reflects the commitment of the government to alleviate the challenges faced by Nigerians in accessing affordable food.
Additionally, Idris addressed the government’s stance on food importation, stating that “a decision has also been taken that, in the interest of our country, there would be no need for food importation at this time. Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and be a net exporter of food items to other countries.”
He assured that the current difficulties in the food supply chain are temporary and will soon be overcome without the need for external imports.
