The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, has announced that the federal government is allocating N200 billion to support the cultivation of hectares of land in order to enhance food security in the country.
Akume made this statement in Abuja on Thursday during his address to the National Executive Council of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The SGF encouraged Nigerians to stay calm despite the prevailing economic challenges.
He stated that the government had implemented various measures to tackle the current hardships, including swift actions to implement palliatives aimed at mitigating the effects of the reforms.
“Nigerians must remain calm. President Bola Tinubu is working to improve the economy.
“These include the allocation of N125 billion in conditional grants and financial inclusion for medium and small enterprises, and 150 billion naira in palliative loans to states to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
“We are providing 200 billion naira to support the cultivation of hectares of land, which is even more now,” Akume said.
NLC action treasonable offence
Regarding the recent industrial strike by labour union leaders, Akume condemned the shutdown of the national grid, describing it as a “treasonable offence.”
He emphasized that there was nowhere in the world where labour had ever interrupted the national grid.
Akume advised labour against actions that could jeopardize government efforts, expressing concern over the implications of such actions.
“It is treason! A treasonable felony is economic sabotage, you don’t do that.
“We are trying to rebuild the economy. The nation is picking up, and they want to destroy it. Of what use is that to all of us? That is not the way,” he said.
Akume said that the federal government was not only committed to paying a new minimum wage, stressing that it was also focusing on productivity and economic stability.
“Our people must rise up and have something in their pockets. It is not about demanding N100,000 without productivity.
“We are looking at controlling inflation and ensuring a balanced economy,” he asserted.
What you should know
Nigeria is currently battling a food security crisis with food inflation at 40.5% as households struggle to provide for their family across the country.
Furthermore, the price of staple foods especially grains has seen an over 100% increase in prices in the past year.
The steep rise in food prices is significantly burdening households nationwide, intensifying the challenges within an already precarious economy.
With projections indicating that approximately 31 million Nigerians could confront severe food shortages by August, the situation demands urgent attention and strategic interventions.