Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory are having difficulty finding the sales locations for the N40,000 subsidised rice that the Federal Government officially launched last week.
On September 5, 2024, Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, officially opened the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice at a discounted price of N40,000 per 50kg bag.
During the launch in Abuja, Kyari stated that President Bola Tinubu’s determination to guarantee that “Nigerians do not go to bed hungry” was the driving force behind the project.
He admitted that a number of issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s aftermath, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, climate change, and local economic factors had contributed to the nation’s present high food prices.
“We are all aware that in the recent past, especially after the mass of COVID-19, and due to the Russian-Ukraine war, climate change and other localised factors, challenges food prices, have made it difficult for Nigerians,” Kyari said.
He gave the public the assurance that the government had put in place mechanisms to guarantee openness and a seamless sale of the rice that was subsidised.
He urged citizens to cooperate with government agencies to make the initiative successful, stating, “I, therefore, urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of the government.
“Let us work together to ensure that the dream of the present administration to uphold the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians is achieved.”
Kyari added that a “one person, one bag” rule would apply to the rice sales in order to guarantee equitable distribution.
However, despite the fanfare around the launch, FCT residents have expressed frustration over their inability to locate designated collection or payment points for the rice. Many say they have not seen any distribution points set up in their local areas.
Mrs. Yunusa Eleojo, a Kuje Area Council resident, expressed her dissatisfaction. She related how she paid N84,000, more than twice the amount the government had promised, for a bag of rice from a wholesale vendor.
“I only heard the government is selling rice at N40,000 per bag, I don’t know where the stores are located, not to talk of how to buy,” she said.
“I had to buy a bag of rice for N84,000 on Friday from a wholesaler who even claimed it was a wholesale price,” she added.
Mama Twins, another Bwari Area Council resident, raised similar issues.
“We saw them showing rice on the television saying the government is selling rice for N40,000 but up till now, we are not aware of anywhere to buy the rice here,” she said.
She also expressed worry that intermediaries would abuse the distribution system, making it harder to obtain the rice that is subsidised.
Salami Taiwo, a different resident of the FCT, expressed doubts about the project as a whole.
“The day I heard about the N40,000 per bag of rice, I knew it would not be realistic because of the way the government has been treating us,” he said.
The public’s frustration is growing as they wait for more information from the government about where and how to obtain the subsidised rice.
It is widely anticipated that the distribution issues will be fixed quickly so that the subsidised rice can reach those who need it most.
