The Federal Government has dispatched 20 trucks of rice to each of the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The decision according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris is part of measures to ameliorate the ongoing hardship in the country.
The Minister disclosed this at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
He said the consignment is the first step by the federal government to provide support to all the sub-nationals.
Consequently, each state has received the supply with each truck containing 1,200 bags of 25kg rice for onward distribution to the most vulnerable in society.
The minister stated: “Now, the council deliberated on the state of affairs in Nigeria, especially the issue of food supply and shortage of food on the table of many Nigerians
“And after exhaustive deliberation, the Minister of Agric had earlier been directed to ensure that food is being made available to Nigerians. And the understanding is that about 20 trucks of rice have already been supplied to each of the states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory. Each of the trucks of course is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice.
“This is part of the measures that government is taking in addition to so many others to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated.
“So for recap, each of the state governments has received 20 trucks of rice for onward distribution to the most vulnerable.
“This is a first step and the federal government will continue to support all the state governors and local governments, all the sub-nationals, so that the hardship experienced by most Nigerians in terms of shortage of food supply is breached.
“It is expected that the state governors will go ahead and distribute this food item to the most vulnerable so that the hardship like I said being experienced will be brought down significantly.”