Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has warned commodity traders against hoarding and speculative trading as the federal government intensifies efforts to scale up food production in the country.

The minister stated this on Sunday in Abuja at a special Ramadan lecture/Iftar organised by Mufutau Yinusa, the president’s special adviser on agriculture and food security, and the Asiwaju Project Beyond 2023.

The minister, who decried the increasing cost of food items, said that apart from the insecurity that has affected agricultural production, hoarding has exacerbated the problem.

“Some of the problems we are facing are also man-made. Hoarding, for instance, and speculative trade by commodity traders are also very huge. We have seen and discovered some warehouses in big commodity areas where gates are removed and walls built just to hoard foodstuffs inside.

“So when you look at those things and say it’s Bola Tinubu, I think we are not being fair to the administration of this government. So we have to look inward. We all have a role to play,” he said.

Mr Kyari said the federal government would continue to work round the clock to ensure food security for the nation while addressing the insecurity challenge frontally.

Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, urged Muslims to pray for the nation and its leaders during Ramadan.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to address the nation’s economic challenges.

In his lecture, Sheik Muhammad Kabir, Imam of Abuja National Mosque, admonished Muslims to shun corruption while contributing positively to nation-building.

He stressed the need for Nigerians to continue to pray and support the current administration in addressing the country’s myriad problems.

Mr Yinusa, said the lecture was part of efforts to support the current administration and reach out to the grassroots.

The director-general of Asiwaju Project Beyond 2023, Realwan Okpanachi, expressed optimism that Nigeria will soon surmount its challenges with the experience of President Bola Tinubu.

(NAN)