President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Director General of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi, to work closely with governors to tackle the issue of food hoarding across the country.
This directive follows a meeting between President Tinubu and state governors in Abuja to address the ongoing food crisis, prompted by protests in Niger State over the escalating cost of food items and reports of hoarding by middlemen, as seen in Kano State where authorities confiscated 10 warehouses storing food items.
In response to the situation, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed that President Tinubu mandated the security heads to coordinate with state governors to combat the hoarding of commodities. Idris emphasized the urgency of bringing food to the people to control prices and alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, accusing commodity sellers of exacerbating the situation for personal gain.
Furthermore, Idris stated that the government does not plan to import food to address the rising costs, asserting that Nigeria possesses the capacity to feed itself and even become a net exporter of food items. He underscored the government’s commitment to supporting domestic food production and emphasized that the current challenges are temporary and will be overcome.
The collaboration between security agencies and governors underscores the government’s determination to ensure food security and affordability for all Nigerians, while also promoting self-sufficiency in food production to safeguard against future crises.
