The Federal Government has revealed that the initial batch of the 50 kg bag of rice at N40,000 will be sold to people working in the public sector before being extended to other parts of the nation.
This announcement was made on Sunday in Abuja during an interview with Channels TV by Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture.
According to Kyari, government employees possess a precise data system that guarantees appropriate recording of the food item’s sale, averting any misuse of the intervention, as was the case with the countrywide rice distribution.
He reiterated that the NIN and other aspects of the system are intended to uphold accountability and transparency, guaranteeing that rice is distributed to those in need without corruption or poor management.
Furthermore, Kyari stated that the rice sacks will eventually be sent to the states to guarantee a just and equal distribution throughout the entire nation.
“Public servants will benefit from the N40,000 bag of rice that Mr. President has ordered be sold, particularly in the first instance where you have proper data, NIN, and once you buy at that, you won’t come back to buy again.”
“It is out there. First and foremost, priority will be given to civil servants. The state will then receive some of the proceeds. You must give it to someone, after all. This is the first occurrence. It will go first to the civil servants,” Kyari stated.Â
Background
Previous reports noted that Nigerians may buy a 50kg bag of rice for N40,000 at centres set up by the Federal Government across the country.
This was revealed last Monday by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, during a briefing to reporters on the results of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which President Bola Tinubu chaired at the State House in Abuja.
Idris pointed out that the Tinubu administration is taking a number of steps to improve the living conditions of its constituents, and this program is just one of them.
“We announced at the most recent Council meeting that each state governor had received 20 trucks, which they would subsequently distribute to the most impoverished members of society.”
“However, the government did not stop. Rice is likewise being sold at roughly half of its cost; a bag of rice is being sold as we speak. This rice has been transported to various centres throughout the federation and is being sold for N40,000. Centres have been established so that anyone in need of this rice can purchase it for N40,000,” Idris stated.
The Minister did not, however, specify the precise locations of the centres designed to sell bagged rice. Â
What to note
As of June 2024, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that food inflation was 40.87% yearly.
The growing costs of some goods, such as semovita, packed wheat flour, garri, bread, and millet flour, are the cause of this notable increase in food inflation.
As a result, the federal government has implemented several measures to address food inflation, including giving farmers access to fertilizer and releasing grains from reserves.
Nevertheless, as food costs are still skyrocketing nationwide, these actions haven’t affected food inflation.Â
