SINCE assuming office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out rice distributions as palliative measures, at least nine times, to ease the economic strain caused by the removal of fuel subsidies, unification of exchange rates and other economic reforms.
Despite the significant resources allocated to these distributions, reports indicate that the impact on ordinary citizens has been minimal.
The ICIR reports that Tinubu’s announcement that “subsidy is gone” on May 29, 2023, shook the economy as the price of fuel had more than doubled since then. This led to a surge in the price of commodities and a spike in inflation.
Following this removal, the World Bank announced that 7.1 million Nigerians were at risk of poverty if properly targeted measures such as disbursement of palliatives were not taken to manage the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The bank said, “In the immediate term, the removal of petrol subsidy has caused an increase in prices, adversely affecting poor and economically insecure Nigerian households. Petrol prices appear to have almost tripled following the subsidy removal.
To cushion the effects of escalating food prices, electricity costs, and fuel expenses, the government has been rolling out rice multiple times as palliatives targeted at vulnerable Nigerians.
However, these interventions have been plagued by reports of diversion, corruption, stampedes, and looting—patterns observed during previous administrations.
For instance, deputy senate president, Barau Jibrin raised concerns about the alleged diversion of palliatives meant for poor households in Kano State for personal gain.
Similarly, in August, Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa States lamented over the alleged diversion of the Federal Government’s 20-truck rice palliative by politicians and government officials in charge. The same patterns were also recorded in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and other parts of the country showing that these interventions might not be reaching their actual targets effectively.
Tinubu’s Rice Palliatives
August 17, 2023 : Five trucks of bags to each state and FCT
In the wake of the hike in the cost of food items, and petroleum owing to the removal of subsidy on the commodity, Tinubu released five trucks of rice each to the 36 state governors alongside N5bn.
This means a total of 180 trucks of rice were shared across state as part of measures to assuage the pains of the subsidy removal.
However, reports show that the initiative did not bring much relief to ordinary Nigerians. For instance, some households said they got only 10kg in Ogun while some citizens said they only got just Five cups of rice and beans in Rivers.
February 24, 2024 : Customs’ auctioned rice
In February 2024, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), announced plan to begin the sale of seized bags of rice to the public at the rate of N10,000 per 25kg to alleviate the impact of the food crisis battling the country.
However, it wasn’t long after Nigerians began enjoying the discounted rice from the country’s border authorities when it was suspended.
May 28, 2024 : Kyari’s 58,500 tonnes of milled rice
In May 2024 the minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, announced that the ministry has procured and distributed 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice to dampen escalating food prices in the country.
| August 17, 2023 | Five trucks of rice were distributed to each state and the FCT, along with N5 billion to governors. |
| February 24, 2024 | Nigeria Customs Service auctioned seized rice at N10,000 per 25kg. |
| May 28, 2024 | 58,500 tonnes of milled rice distributed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. |
| July 5, 2024 | 740 trucks of rice distributed nationwide. |
| July 15, 2024 | 1,200 bags of rice for ministers. |
| September 15, 2024 | 19 trucks of rice to Kano. |
| September 19, 2024 | Sale of 30,000 MT of subsidised rice at N40,000 per 50kg |
Timeline of some Rice palliative shared by FG/ Source: Media reports
July 5, 2024 : Distribution to FCT residents
The federal government released 44,656 bags of grains for distribution to poor and vulnerable households in six area councils of the FCT.
The FCT minister of state, Mariya Mahmoud, who disclosed this while handing over the food items to the beneficiaries said the grains consisted of 23,996 (25kg) bags of rice, 4,680 (50kg) bags of maize, 13,920 (50kg) bags of sorghum, 1,100 (50kg) bags of millet and 960 (25kg) bags of Garri.
July 15, 2024 : 740 trucks of rice across Nigeria
While briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the council chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, the minister said the federal government has distributed 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
The minister said each state including the FCT was given 20 trucks containing 1,200 bags of 25kg for a truck and the rice is to be distributed to the most vulnerable in the society.
September 15, 2024 : 1200 bags of rice to ministers
On September 15, the president said it has provided 1,200 bags of rice to each of his ministers as part of efforts to alleviate the growing food scarcity and hunger in Nigeria.
According to the minister of Solid minerals development, Dele Alake, the rice was intended as a palliative for vulnerable members of society, specifically targeting the elderly.
Alake revealed that the presidency made the rice available to him for distribution, which would be focused exclusively on supporting the aged in his state. The same gesture had also been extended to lawmakers at the upper and lower chambers of the national assembly.
September 19, 2024 : 19 trucks of rice to Kano
The federal government said it donated 19 trucks of rice to Kano State as part of measures to reduce hunger in the state. The distribution of 25kg of rice which was headed by the deputy president of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin was expected to extend to other seven states in the Northwest including Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Zamfara states.
September 2024; 30,000 MT rice at subsidised rate
After the initial distributions failed to ameliorate the food crisis, the federal government tweaked the approach to sale of the food items at affordable prices instead of dashing them out. In September, the government flagged- off the sales of 30,000MT of milled rice at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50kg.
According to a statement signed by Eremah Anthonia, a chief information officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), the criteria for the sale were the buyers’ National Identification Number (NIN) and phone numbers.
“This includes one man and one 50kg of rice, others are the verification of intending beneficiaries using relevant identification mediums such as the National Identification Number (NIN) and phone numbers to forestall multiple access to the food commodity by fraudulent individuals at the detriment of other citizens,” the ministry said.
“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.”
The statement, posted on X, further reads: “The exercise would also be carried out across the country.” The ministry mentioned that the 30,000 metric tonnes of rice had been dedicated for that purpose.
However, many average Nigerians who were targeted for the intervention found it hard to locate the sale points slated by the government.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.