The National Economic Council (NEC) has directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately distribute grains to states within one or two weeks to bring down the price of food items nationwide.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

The governor said Mr Shettima directed NEMA to release the grains immediately, adding that states would be involved in the mechanism.

Mr Mohammed, who expressed concern over the high prices of food items, noted that food was a key component of what was considered by the council.

He said this prompted the council’s engagement with the Ministry of Agriculture, NEMA and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“We have some buffer stock that is already there with NEMA, so the council directed that the states will immediately be allocated substantial portions of food items, grains and so on for distribution so that the prices of foodstuff will come down.

“These grains will be given at subsidised rates or at the rates they were acquired. The CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme and its Agric programmes have ensured a large stock of rice and other grains. These will be made available within one week so that they will be distributed to the states,” Mr Mohammed said.

He explained that states are at liberty to give out the grains at subsidised rates, or free of charge or sell them in a way that would crash food items’ prices and make them affordable for the common people.

“Across the sectors of the economy, public and civil servants and even farmers will benefit maximally. Again as I said, NEMA has lots of stock which it will also bring out so that this particular aspect of food security can cushion the effect of the subsidy removal on all Nigerians.

“This will be done within one or two weeks. In terms of the quantity of the grains that will be distributed, I just learnt from the acting CBN Governor that they have more than 2,52,00 metric tonnes of grains and almost equivalent number of bags of fertiliser that will be distributed within the time frame,” the governor said.

Mr Mohammed revealed that NEC had established a robust agreement that states and local governments would be involved in the distribution of the grains.

He also said NEMA would collaborate with the corresponding institutions in the states and local governments so that the grains would be easily distributed.

“The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations, and everybody will be involved because the states are involved, and of course, at the end of the day, you will see that these things will reach the target,” he added.

(NAN)