The federal government says it will commence the distribution of the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by President Bola Tinubu to vulnerable Nigerians next week in Niger.

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when he visited the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said Niger would be used as a pilot state for the North-Central for the distribution of the grains.

” We will take it to the states and then to the local governments so that it will be on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) template.

”NEMA and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) will be responsible for the distribution,” he said.

Mr Bago said he was in Abuja to discuss with Mr Kyari the visit of Mr Tinubu to Niger for the inauguration of the exercise.

The governor said Niger had acquired over 120 trucks of grains to complement the federal government’s efforts.

He said items to be distributed included rice, millet, guinea corn, sorghum, soya, and beans.

Also speaking, Mr Kyari said the distribution would begin from the states and then to the local governments.

He said NEMA would do the distribution.

” As I mentioned before, it’s 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains, maize, sorghum, millet and dairy,” he said.

On dry season farming, the minister said the second phase of the dry-season farming would also commence next week.

(NAN)