The Federal Government started selling 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to Nigerians at a subsidized rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag, but only customers with National Identity Numbers would benefit, the government declared.
During the flag-off event on Thursday, President Bola Tinubu said that the rice intervention will be offered exclusively on a “one person, one bag” basis. Tinubu was represented by Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari.
According to Kyari, the 50 kg bags of rice, which have a fixed price of ₦40,000, are a component of the Federal Government’s initiative to supply discounted milled rice in an attempt to ease Nigeria’s continuing food crisis.
“In light of the times and difficulties we face as citizens of this wonderful country, it can be said that this food intervention is timely.
“Please join me in praising the tremendous efforts of the current administration, which include the release of 42,000 MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable people and the 30,000 MT of milled rice that is being flagged-off for sales to Nigerians today, September 5, 2024, as one of the many efforts to mitigate the impact of the high cost of food commodities.
Regarding buyer verification, Kyari clarified that a multidisciplinary government task group has been established to guarantee the initiative’s overall success, transparency, and wide distribution.
He emphasized that the procedure was created to stop people from getting more than one 50 kg bag of rice. He also mentioned that recipients will have their identity confirmed using phone numbers and the NIN, preventing scammers from getting multiple bags at the expense of other people.
In light of the aforementioned, I kindly ask our beloved citizens to collaborate with the government departments that are relevant to you and will work to fulfill this wonderful government effort.
According to him, “it is anticipated that the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks, each carrying 30MT of this crucial staple) into Nigeria’s food balance sheet will crash the price of rice as well as other closer food substitutes and alternatives.”
The Director of Strategic Grains Reserve, Ministry of Agriculture, Haruna Sule, described the procedure Nigerians would need to follow in order to purchase the rice. She said that civil servants can obtain the grains at specific points of sale by using their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System details.
“Those in public service are all registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform, and in order to be eligible for the one person, one bag program, you must have a National Identification Number, phone number, and, of course, phone numbers,” he stated.
“A code number and a Treasury receipt will be generated at the time of sale once you have any one of these three, and with it, the buyer can come to the collection center and pick up his bag. In order to prevent stampedes, the receipt will specify the time and location of collection,” he continued.
Sule added that the buyer will receive a receipt specifying the collection site and time after giving the government the code number. This treasury receipt serves as evidence of payment to the government.
He went on to say, “At the collection point, you present your code to our officials and you will be handed a bag of rice,” further emphasizing that it is not the same as the sales point.
Idris Mohammed, the Minister of Information, declared in July that rice will be sold at a discount.
Subsequently, the Human Resources Management Department of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs directed civil servants to register in order to purchase the food item.
Later on, though, the administration decided to halt the initiative without giving any reason.
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