President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after a two-week private visit to Paris, France, arriving at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja around 9 pm on Tuesday night.
Tinubu was received by top government officials, including his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, among others.
The reason for Tinubu’s visit to France remained undisclosed, but his return coincides with ongoing protests in some states over rising food and living costs. Angry youths and women in Minna, Kano, and Ondo State took to the streets to express their grievances about the challenging economic situation.
In response to the protests, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, revealed that Tinubu had directed immediate interventions to address the issues causing hardship and prevent further security breakdown.
A meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention, chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, was held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, to discuss strategies to alleviate the food shortage. The government is engaging with millers and major commodity traders to increase food supply and reduce prices.
Idris emphasized that Nigeria is not experiencing a food shortage but acknowledged that some individuals are exploiting the situation and currency depreciation to manipulate food prices. The government aims to intervene to ensure food availability and affordability for Nigerians.
As discussions continue, the government is poised to issue a comprehensive statement outlining its actions to address the food crisis and alleviate the suffering of citizens.
