The Federal Government has said that only people with registered National Identification Number (NIN) will be allowed to purchase, as the government launches the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of rice.
President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the move was aimed at curbing fraud in the Nigerian markets and reducing the price of foodstuffs.
Kyari explained that the intervention will be sold strictly on a “one man for one bag or one woman for one bag” basis.
He said the rice – which will be sold at the rate of 40,000 naira for 50 kilograms – is an intervention by the Federal Government to drive the sale of subsidised milled rice to alleviate the current food crisis in Nigeria.
“This food intervention is timely given the times and challenges we face as citizens of this great nation,” he said.
“As one of the many efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of the high cost of food commodities, please join me in applauding the boundless efforts of the present administration such as the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities (AFC) for the vulnerable and 30,000 metric tonnes of refined rice which is being dispatched today for sale to Nigerians on September 5, 2024.”
The minister attributed the high food prices to COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine war, climate change and other local factors/challenges.
“This has increased the concern and risk of food insecurity and a general decline in living standards globally. So I urge all of us to understand that the current challenges are not just limited to our great country,” he said.
He said the Federal Government is aware of the potential challenges associated with the sale of critical foodgrains like rice, hence, at this critical time, the government has deployed multi-disciplinary machinery, as well as put in place certain procedures and conditions to ensure transparency, wide access and success of the process.
“This includes giving out 50kg of rice to an individual, others include verification of intended beneficiaries using relevant identification means such as National Identification Number (NIN) and phone number to prevent multiple access to this food commodity by fraudulent individuals causing harm to other citizens,” he said.
He urged the citizens to cooperate with the concerned citizens to make this initiative successful.
“Let us all join hands to ensure that the dream of the present administration of upholding the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians is realised. It is expected that with the injection of 30,000 metric tonnes (1000 trucks of 30 metric tonnes each of these critical staples) into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only drive down the price of rice but also other close food options and substitutes.”
He urged Nigerians to persevere and be patient with the President as his many efforts at enhancing food security would soon bear fruit.
The ministry’s Director of Food and Strategic Reserves, Haruna Sule Abutu, outlined the process for buying the subsidised rice.
“To qualify for One Person One Bag, you must have a National Identification Number, of course you must also have a phone number and all those employed in the public service must be registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform.
“Once you have any of these three, at the point of sale, upon logging the NIN in the system, a code number and a treasury receipt will be generated, and with that the buyer can go to the collection centre and collect his bag. The receipt will indicate the time and place of collection so that there is no stampede.”
Source link
