The Federal Government will unlock the national food reserves soon in order to cushion the rising prices of food items in the country.
It has also opened up discussions with some major millers and commodity traders with a view to persuading them to open their warehouses and release their commodities to the market.
This action is believed to have been prompted by the protests in Kano and Minna, Niger State by women and youths on Monday demanding that government should step up to address the ugly situation.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who addressed newsmen after a meeting of the Preaidential Committee on Food Shortage said government would explore all options to ensure availability of food for Nigerians at affordable prices.
The meeting which was presided over by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, had the Governor of Central Bank, Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and the National Security Adviser in attendance.
He said: “We just rounded up a meeting. It is a special presidential committee to address the issue of food shortage or lack of enough food on the table of most Nigerians.
“This is just the beginning of that meeting. It is going to continue tomorrow and day after tomorrow. The government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially what has happened in Minna yesterday, and therefore government is taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food on the table.
“Of course, this meeting is not by itself exhaustive. It’s just like I said, the beginning. It is going to continue tomorrow and the day after.
“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country. You know that the Federal Minister of Agriculture has some food reserve. That is going to be made available to Nigerians.
“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores. To open it up, so that government will provide some intervention, discuss with them provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.”
According to Idris, “What the government is noticing is that actually there is still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation especially because of the high cost, the depreciation in the value of our currency that has led to the cost of these food items also going up.’
He said the meeting of the committee was directed by President Bola Tinubu who is currently on a private visit to France, saying that government needed to step in to stem this tide.
“Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.
“So I want to plead with you to understand with the government. By the time these meetings are concluded, we’ll be able to issue a definite statement on what the position of government is in this regard. But all I can say is that discussions are ongoing, and very soon a solution is in sight for Nigerians.
“The government is stepping in a big way to ensure that Nigerians have succour going forward,” he said.