The Federal Government has initiated the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to Nigerians at a subsidized rate of N40,000 per 50-kilogram bag requiring potential buyers present their National Identification Number.
The disclosure was made by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, during a launch event in Abuja on Thursday, according to Nairametrics.
Kyari emphasized that the sale would be conducted nationwide, citing the intervention as timely given the current economic challenges facing the country.
He acknowledged the potential hurdles in managing the distribution of such a crucial staple but assured that a comprehensive governmental framework has been established to ensure transparency and effectiveness.
According to him, to prevent any single individual from acquiring more than one 50kg bag, the process will be strictly regulated.
He said that intending beneficiaries would be “verified using relevant identification mediums such as the NIN and phone numbers to forestall multiple accesses to the commodity by fraudulent individuals at the detriment of other citizens.”
“In view of the above, I urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of government.
“It is expected that with the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each of this important staple into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives,” he said.
Highlighting the process Nigerians would have to follow to purchase the rice, the Director of Strategic Grains Reserve, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Haruna Sule, said civil servants could access the grains from the point of sale with their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
“Once you have any of these three, you present it to the sales operators and it is logged on the platform that has been created.
“After this, you proceed to pay electronically with your ATM; once the payment is done, it is linked to the initial sales operator and it shows that you have paid; then a receipt will be issued with a code number,” he expounded.
Upon payment, buyers will receive a treasury receipt as proof of transaction.
They will also be issued a collection receipt specifying the point and time of collection, aimed at preventing overcrowding and ensuring orderly distribution.
He noted that the point of collection is different from the point of sales, adding that “when you get to the collection point, you present your code to our officials and you will be given a bag of rice.”
The sale was initially announced by Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, in July.
Following this announcement, the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Human Resources Management Department requested civil servants to register for the rice sale.
However, the government suspended the sale without providing any explanation for the change in plans.
