FG begins distribution of 42,000mt next week

Ukraine has provided 25,000 metric tonnes of wheat to support the World Food Programme (WFP) in its emergency food assistance to 1.3 million crisis-affected people in the Northeast.

  
The gesture is part of the humanitarian ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Federal Government has disclosed plans to commence the distribution of 42,000mt of grains, recently released from the silos, next week.
  
WFP said it would stop procuring grains from Nigeria until prices stabilise in the local market.  Its Country Director in Nigeria, David Stevenson, while receiving the grains, yesterday, in Abuja, stated that the shipment was made possible with thecollaborative effort from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom that provided transport logistics the grains to Nigeria.
  
Stevenson stated that the grain would be distributed urgently to the families in need of it.  He thanked the government of Ukraine, its partners and donors for their unwavering support through the initiative.
  
“This collaborative effort plays a crucial role in alleviating suffering and maintaining human dignity in areas facing conflict and food price increase,” he added.
  
As part of WFP’s ongoing humanitarian operations, Stevenson disclosed that the donation would be combined with cash and other commodities to meet the basic food and nutrition needs of crisis-affected women, men and children for two months. 
  
He lamented: “Deadly conflicts and persistent violence in North-east Nigeria have driven millions of people out of their homes, off their farms and across the region, jeopardising agriculture and livelihoods.
  
“Over the past three months, unlike previous years, prices of key staples across several markets in Nigeria increased above pre-harvest levels hampering food access for vulnerable families, who depend on harvest and markets for their supplies.
  
To ensure continued food and nutrition assistance to crisis-affected people in the North-east and North-west, he said WFP urgently requires $154 million for the next six months, from March to August 2024.

GOVERNOR Umaru Bago of Niger State, who disclosed the grain distribution plan, after a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, yesterday, ahead of the commissioning of the mechanisation programme by President Bola Tinubu, said the distribution would be flagged off in the state, as Niger would be used as pilot state in the North Central.
  
He further disclosed that as part of their support, the people in the state had further acquired 120,000 trucks of grains, including rice, beans, millet, sorghum and soya bean to be distributed freely.
  
“We have vouched to march their dollar to a dollar; if the Federal Government is giving us N100 million, we will also provide N100 million. We will continue to farm and we are doing lots of sensitisation for our farmers to go back to agriculture.
  
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated that 42,000mt sorghum, millet, maize and garri would be distributed across the country.